Florida pitcher Russell Sandefer (17) pitches during the 2026 NCAA Baseball Championship Gainesville Regional championship baseball game at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, FL on Monday, June 1, 2026. Troy beat Florida Sunday they played a winner take all game Monday. Troy won 10-2. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
With their second and final pick on the first day of the 2026 MLB Draft, the Dodgers selected Florida Gators pitcher Russell Sandefer in the fourth round, with the 132nd overall pick in the draft.
The 6’1 junior right-hander had a 4.42 ERA in 19 games for Florida this season, including 12 starts, with 60 strikeouts and 22 walks in 57 innings. His season highlight was striking out 11 in seven scoreless innings against Ole Miss on April 4.
“Listed at 6-foot-1, 200 pounds, Sandefer has a deceptive look with a slingy, sidearm slot and a crossfire landing that creates some unusual angles for hitters,” said the BA scouting report. “Sandefer is typically a fastball/slider pitcher against righties, and a fastball/changeup/cutter pitcher against lefties. He’s a solid strike-thrower who might be more reliant on inducing weak contact than racking up strikeouts, but has a chance to profile as a backend starter.”
The first day of the draft is now complete for the Dodgers, who don’t pick again until the seventh round, having lost their second, third, fifth, and sixth-round draft picks this year for signing free agents Edwin Díaz and Kyle Tucker during the offseason. Day 2 of the draft begins on Sunday morning at 8:30 a.m. PT, streaming on MLB.com and MLB.tv.
Jul 10, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) throws to the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images
We might have to start calling them the cardiac kids!
After a big, ninth-inning comeback to beat the Nationals on Friday night, we got a sequel on Saturday afternoon. Starter Cam Schlittler didn’t pitch well while managing an extraordinary start, and seven-plus innings of maddening offense gave way to a trio of eighth-inning home runs. The Yankees have a win streak going, taking today’s game 4-2 over the Nationals.
Cam Schlittler is making me think about Roy Halladay a lot. I’ve told this story before here, but Halladay was the standard of baseball excellence in my home growing up; my dad would hand 10-year-old me a pocket Blue Jay schedule and have me mark off the home games that Doc was most likely to be starting, and those games became the priority options for family trips to Toronto. The day Roy was traded was a small celebration in our house, because he sure as hell wasn’t getting anything out of the late-2000s Blue Jays. At least the Phillies gave him a real shot.
But the thing that always stuck out to me about Halladay, specifically his time in Toronto where he was the best or second best pitcher in the AL depending on what Johan Santana had done lately, was that he didn’t often dominate lineups the way his counterpart in Minnesota would. Halladay ground you down, taking advantage of his formidable conditioning and his manager’s reluctance to go to anyone in the bullpen to throw 130 cutters and sinkers and shatter your bat and watch you jog 75 feet to your right on a basic groundout to second. And he would do that for eight innings every five days — sometimes more, as no less a juggernaut than the 2009 Yankees learned.
Indeed, even on days where Halladay wasn’t the best pitcher available, he seemed better than anyone at finding some way to make it work. When he was losing, and boy he was losing a lot with those teams, it seemed there was nobody on the planet more dead-set at not being the reason why we lose today.
Cam certainly did not dominate today — the first pitch he threw was deposited in the right field seats by James Wood, and a batter later another ball was launched by Curtis Mead to put the Yankees down 2-0. Dreams of that disastrous Detroit date were dancing in our heads, but while Schlittler wasn’t at his best, he was able to figure it out. His 6:4 K:BB ratio is shocking for a player of his calibre. He needed a huge double play to get out of a tricky second, and walked the bases loaded in the fourth before getting a soft fly out to end the inning.
He was not the best pitcher going on this full Saturday slate of games, but he was able to ground down the bats of the Nationals for 6.2 innings. He was dead-set at not being the reason why we lose today, and for a couple of hours on a warm Saturday afternoon, Cam Schlittler made me feel like I was 10 again.
Unfortunately for most of the game the Yankee offense was also revisiting the mid-2000s Blue Jays standard operating procedure. PJ Poulin and Miles Mikolas — yes, him — held them scoreless through the sixth inning. But hey, if you watched last night’s win, you know you just need to find a way to screw into Washington’s bullpen.
Yes, Washington’s relief corps is chopped, but it does feel like the Yankees have been squeezing their bats a little too tight for a while now. McMahon’s homer, like Jazz’s last night, kinda seemed to remind everyone that they can hit.
Ben Rice was walked, reaching base all four times today, and with a chance at the lead, in came Trent Grisham:
Even the old man got in on the fun. Paul Goldschmidt looked pretty bad today after snapping that long hitless streak on Friday, but unc changed all that around as we moved into the (relative) tack-on portion of the game:
Given the lead, Fernando Cruz and David Bednar worked an inning apiece, with Bednar allowing a single to Wood — he’s pretty good folks — but nothing else in locking up another come from behind win. Both relievers have put in excellent work over the past two days, with the duo combining for 4.2 innings of one-hit ball.
We’ve got one more game to go before the break, and the Yankees would sure rinse off a lot of the stink around them this past month by completing the sweep tomorrow. Will Warren is tapped for the start, with a 1:35pm Eastern first pitch. The Nats have not announced a starter of their own yet, though Cade Cavalli’s suspension is supposed to be over, so he is a candidate to get the ball for Washington.
The Mets were shut out by the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, losing by a score of 4-0.
Here are the key takeaways...
-- Facing rookie pitcher Eduardo Rivera, who was making his first career start and just second career appearance in the majors – his first coming on April 22 against the Yankees, the Mets’ offense was befuddled all day.
Against Rivera, recalled from Triple-A before the game to start in place of the injured Ranger Suarez, New York mustered one hit during the lefty’s 3.2 innings. The brilliant Boston pitching didn’t stop there as four Red Sox relievers combined to pitch 5.1 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits.
-- The Mets had chances to score, though, mostly thanks to seven walks on the day. In the second, Carson Benge led off with a walk and stole second base, but was left stranded. New York loaded the bases in the seventh following two walks sandwiched in between a single, but A.J. Ewing struck out looking to end the threat. An inning later, Juan Soto and Francisco Lindor had back-to-back walks, but the Mets couldn’t score after a flyout and a double play.
-- Francisco Alvarez had two of New York’s three hits on the day, one of them an infield single in the fifth. Meanwhile, Brett Baty’s 10-game hitting streak came to an end after an 0-for-3 day, although he reached base safely with a walk.
-- Freddy Peralta’s string of short outings continued with the right-hander lasting just 4.1 innings. It’s the third consecutive start he hasn’t completed five innings and the sixth straight start he hasn’t completed six.
Peralta’s day was hamstringed by five walks, which forced his pitch count up. Aside from the walks, his only blemish came in the fourth inning when Andruw Monasterio took him deep for a two-run shot. Monasterio had a big day at the plate, adding a triple in the sixth inning.
-- After Peralta left the game, the Mets’ bullpen held the Red Sox in check and kept New York in the game. A.J. Minter did some heavy lifting in the sixth, stranding Monasterio at third base after his leadoff triple with a couple of strikeouts.
Brooks Raley pitched a clean seventh and handed it to Tobias Myers, whose struggles continued after coming in and immediately giving up a two-run shot to Masataka Yoshida that doubled Boston’s lead. Myers has been up and down between the minors and majors recently and has a 13.14 ERA in his last seven appearances. For the season, it’s at 6.26.
-- The Mets went 0-for-8 with RISP and left nine men on base.
Game MVP: Eduardo Rivera
The 6-foot-7 lefty dominated in his first major league start, even if it was just for 3.2 innings.
The Mets close out their series against the Red Sox with a Sunday matinee starting at 1:40 p.m.
New York has yet to announce a starter, although rookie LHP Zach Thornton (0-1, 4.35 ERA) is with the team and will likely get the start, while Boston will go with LHP Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.14 ERA).
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 29: Gary Trent Jr. #5 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during the game against the Indiana Pacers during Round 1 Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Playoffs on April 29, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Folks, it happened. The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to re-sign free agent guard Gary Trent Jr. to a four-year, $64m deal, per ESPN insider Shams Charania.
According to Charania, “The Bucks and Trent’s reps worked through negotiations since the NBA Finals ended in mid-June while also sorting through sign-and-trade possibilities from interested teams over the last week. The sides moved toward completing a new deal together Saturday.”
The news shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. While reporting broke of Trent declining his player option in late June, rumour widely spread that Trent would return to the Bucks on the back end of handshake deal that kept him in Milwaukee on a team-friendly contract last season. Needless to say, Bucks fans weren’t particularly enamoured with the idea of giving him one more chance.
This is obviously just “the price of doing business” with Klutch Sports. Though we will never know for sure, it certainly seems this was predetermined after Trent re-signed on another small contract following the 2024-25 season (and a terrific playoff run), presumably to gain Bird rights with the team. The issue is that his 2024-25 performance was clearly an outlier, as he averaged his second-lowest PPG since his second year last season.
Yup, this is a bad contract the moment the ink is dry—and it’s fully guaranteed. Sigh. The roster now sits at 17 standard contracts.
Jun 14, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers starting pitcher Maxx Yehl (15) pitches against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the third inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images
After drafting Zion Rose and Taylor Rabe with the sixth and 30th picks, respectively, in the 2026 MLB Draft, the Royals made three additional selections to round out the first day. Kansas City chose two high schoolers and another college pitcher with those selections.
56th pick: Jack Slightom, right-handed pitcher from Lyons Township High School
With the 56th pick of the 2026 MLB Draft, we have selected Jack Slightom from Lyons Township High School (IL). pic.twitter.com/5kbudRgCFM
With the 56th pick, the Royals drafted a player who will also get some of the signing bonus savings from picking Rose: Jack Slightom, a right-handed pitcher from a Chicago area high school. Slightom ranked as the 89th best prospect per MLB and the 60th prospect per ESPN, and was outside the top 100 from The Athletic and Fangraphs.
From Fangraphs:
This year’s Midwest pop-up arm, Slightom is a Cincinnati commit whose fastball velocity climbed from the upper 80s to the mid-90s over the last year. He is built like a human/whooping crane hybrid at a skinny 6-foot-5, and he works east/west with a tailing fastball, changeup, and lateral slider. Inconsistent mechanics and worry about fastball playability are why Slightom is viewed here as more of a dev project than a guy who comfortably projects to have multiple plus pitches.
From MLB.com:
Slightom worked with an 88-91 mph fastball as a junior, touched 95 at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship in October and has reached 98 with carry and armside run this spring. His 77-81 mph slider could use some power and lacks consistency, yet he’ll spin some solid breaking balls at times. He doesn’t use his changeup very often but shows some aptitude for the mid-80s offering, which flashes some nice tumble and fade.
Slightom works with a side-step delivery and a low arm slot that provides some deception. A Cincinnati recruit, he’s athletic and should add some needed polish once he focuses on baseball. With room to add plenty of strength to his 6-foot-5 frame, he could develop an upper-90s heater and a mid-80s slider.
Maxx Yehl dominated in the Big 12, striking out 27.9% of batters en route to a 2.13 ERA. He only walked 6.5% of batters, too. Yehl is another pitcher whose previous college time impacted by Tommy John surgery (again, this is a common thing now). Yehl ranked as the 217th best prospect per MLB and the 161st best per ESPN.
From Fangraphs:
Yehl thrives on deception. He gets on top of the ball even with a three-quarters slot, and with his back foot in the middle of the rubber, he strides at nearly a 45 degree angle toward the first base dugout. He lands clean and straight on, and is able to command the ball effectively even with the huge crossfire. Hitters, lefties in particular, looked uncomfortable. His fastball generates above-average to plus carry even with a relatively low slot, and he missed a ton of bats upstairs last year. His slider is mostly horizontal, and he has pretty good feel for spinning it. Yehl can find the back foot and back door against righties, and he likes to run it off the barrels of a lefty. He’ll flash an average curve as well. A changeup isn’t currently part of his equation but will likely need to be if he’s going to start.
I don’t know how well this will work against hitters more accustomed to outlier release points, but college bats can be rough on smoke and mirrors types, and they barely touched Yehl this year; he may just have the juice, deception wise. He isn’t particularly physically projectable, but developing a change is a potential path forward, and he looks like an intriguing early-round flier. You can dream on a backend starter.
From MLB.com:
While he only has this season as a starter on his resume, Yehl’s size and pure stuff should at least give him a chance to stick in a rotation at the next level. The 6-foot-6 lefty has shown the ability to get his fastball up to 96-97 mph, especially early in the season. As the Mountaineers were preparing for Omaha, Yehl showed some signs of fatigue and a loss of a tick or two of velocity, but that’s understandable given he’s just a year removed from elbow surgery, and he’s well beyond any innings total previously accumulated in his career.
Yehl’s best secondary pitch is his slider, which flashes above average and has been up to 87 mph and more around 83-84 mph late. At times he’ll show signs of a distinct cutter and curve, but they do run into each other a bit. He has an upper-80s changeup that doesn’t get called much but could be solid with pro development. Even when fatigued, the 22-year-old Yehl has shown improved strike-throwing and is a plus competitor. If starting doesn’t work out, his fastball-slider combination should work out of a bullpen.
For the final pick of day one, the Royals selected their first high school hitter: Dominic Battista, whose high school is located just 30 miles southwest of Slightom’s. ESPN ranked Battista 119th overall, though was outside the top 250 for other outlets.
Battista is a left-handed hitter with some speed. From the Prospect Porch:
That raw power was on full display at the Super 60, where Battista posted an impressive 108.5 mph max exit velocity, while also boasting an 104.1 average mark. His max exit velocity ranked 4th out of the whole event, even more impressive considering 2 of the 3 ahead of him weighed in at north of 220 lbs, more than a 30-pound difference. To go with the raw power, Battista is an excellent runner who’s quick out of the box and has posted plus run times. Pair that with at least above-average arm strength, and you’ve got a profile some consider fit for center field long-term.
Battista will need to continue to assure scouts on the hit tool this spring, considering he doesn’t possess the same track record of hitting higher-caliber arms compared to some of his peers and has struggled with strikeout woes in the past. He struck out in 22 of his 81 plate appearances his junior spring, while also hitting for a .242 average. Though those issues have seemingly improved in his summer stints, it’s still a skeptic part of his profile, even with a fluid left-handed swing that looks quite “hitterish.”
Rutgers Baseball continues to send players on to the next level.
On Saturday, Peyton Bonds was selected 90th overall in the third round of the 2026 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants. Bonds is the nephew of all-time home run leader and former Giants’ great Barry Bonds.
Bonds is the first Scarlet Knight selected in this year’s draft but makes the total number of picks 12 since 2022 for Rutgers.
The right-handed outfielder starred at Franklin High School in New Jersey before moving to the collegiate level. He hit .429 in high school before heading to Campbell. Bonds then transferred to Rutgers where he spent two years.
Bonds played in 36 games this past season. He hit .352 with six home runs and 29 RBI. He logged an on-base percentage of .436 as well. In 2025, Bonds hit .300 with the Scarlet Knights including five home runs and 40 RBI. He also showed off his ability in centerfield as well as the base paths, where he stole 13 bags in 2026.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. announces Cameron Flukey as the 22nd overall pick by the Detroit Tigers during the 2026 MLB Draft presented by Nippon Express at Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 11, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Detroit Tigers first day of the 2026 MLB draft is in the books. With their fourth round pick, they took prep shortstop Dominic Pellegrin out of Holy Cross High School in Louisiana. We were waiting for a prep shorstop pick all through Day 1, and the Tigers delivered, finding an underviewed, though older, right-handed high school shortstop who performed well in the MLB Draft League.
Pellegrin is a twitchy defender with good speed and strong bat-to-ball skills. The Tigers love them a prep shortstop, but they changed it up this year by not reaching for one, and instead taking a player who wasn’t a big name on the junior circuit and only late in the season started getting more notice after posting well in the pre-draft league showcase.
A Tulane commit, the Louisiana native stands six-foot-one, weighing in a 175 pounds. He has developing power via a fairly prominent leg kick, but his swing is actually pretty simple and efficient, producing plenty of hard contact although his power projections top out around average. Still, the Tigers have proven themselves quite adept at developing young hitters’ batspeed, so it’s easy to have some confidence in their projections on Pellegrin.
He’s a bit older, as he just turned 19 and would technically be an eligible sophomore if he decided to go to Tulane, but at this point in the draft, signing bonus expectations are generally known and we’d be surprised if the Tigers didn’t end up landing him, especially as they can probably trim a little off the bonuses to Flukey and LeBlanc. Pellegrin’s defense and contact skills have really started to turn heads more recently, and he has a shot to be a plus shortstop with speed on the bases and a solid hit tool and power combination.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Cameron Carr #43 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
While things have gone well for Carr so far, he knows improvements and development are needed. Carr has shown some good shooting ability, and while all teams want more of that, the Lakers really need him to grow into his body so he can be a top perimeter player.
“First things first, got to put on some weight,” Carr said at his introductory presser. “That’s gonna be an emphasis, being in a weight room as much as possible. It’s going to be like my second home. And then, of course, just, I mean, having great vets in front of you just to look up to and learn from and follow in their footsteps and take little things away from them and implement it into your life.
“Overall, I think it’s, it’s gonna be exciting. I know I keep saying it. It’s repetitive, but man, y’all don’t understand how much of a joy it is and a blessing to be here in this situation. So just learn and, and follow in their footsteps.”
Carr is listed at 6’5” and 184 lbs. That’s a very light frame, even for a perimeter player. He wants to be great, but he has to bulk up so he doesn’t get pushed around or bullied on the court, particularly on defense.
The good thing is that he’s well aware of these perceived weaknesses and is prioritizing addressing them. Now that he’s a pro with the Lakers, he’ll have all the resources he needs to build up his body and become a great guard.
The weight room being his new home is the quickest way to make his desired outcome a reality.
While Carr is particularly light, it’s not uncommon for rookies to start much smaller than they’ll ultimately be. With years of work and training, players typically gain weight and figure out the weight they need to be at to maximize their talent.
This is what the goal should be for Carr, and as long as his words match his actions, he’s well on his way.
HOOVER, AL - MAY 25: Ole Miss pitcher Hudson Calhoun (23) screams and pumps his fist after closing out an inning during the SEC Baseball Tournament Final game between Ole Miss Rebels and Vanderbilt Commodores on May 25, 2025, at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, Alabama. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Texas Rangers, with their fourth round pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, selected righthanded pitcher Hudson Calhoun from the University of Mississippi.
Calhoun, who turns 22 in August, is a 6’4”, 210 lb. righthander who has pitched almost exclusively in relief in his three seasons at Old Miss. After making just two appearances in 2024, Calhoun threw 24 innings over 21 games as a sophomore, striking out 37 and walking 18 while putting up a 5.11 ERA. In 2026, he threw 46 innings over 22 games, with 67 Ks and 26 walks.
Calhoun has a five pitch mix, and his build and repertoire are such that the Rangers will likely be looking to try him out as a starting pitcher, at least initially. He has a mid-90s fastball that is high spin, giving it good rising action as well as armside run. It is a pitch that can generate whiffs when its located — Calhoun, however, has struggled with his command and control throughout his college career. Along with his fastball, Calhoun throws a cutter, a curve, a slider and a changeup.
ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 22: Myles Bailey #12 of the Florida State Seminoles bats during a game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the 2026 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field on February 22, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After chasing power in the second round of the MLB Draft with Caden Sorrell, the Cubs doubled down on power with Florida State first baseman Myles Bailey with their compensation pick in the second round. This is the pick the Cubs got for losing Kyle Tucker to free agency.
Like first-round pick Cade Townsend, Bailey is a draft-eligible sophomore from a power conference, this time the ACC rather than the SEC. Bailey was one of the best power hitters in college baseball in 2026. He hit 19 home runs in 56 games as a freshman and 13 in just 26 games as a sophomore before he injured his ankle sliding into second base and was out for the rest of the season.
Some scouts put an 80, the highest possible grade, on Bailey’s raw power, although contact issues make his “in-game” power grade lower. He’s a big, powerful man at 6’4”, 255 with a big, long uppercut swing. He can hit it out of the park to all fields, but when he pulls it, the ball goes a very long ways. The exit velocities generated by Bailey’s bat are elite.
The downside, as alluded to earlier, is that Bailey strikes out a lot. He did cut his strikeout rate from a very troublesome 31 precent as a freshman to a concerning but not completely disqualifying 24.6 percent. Although he did only play eight conference games and presumably, his strikeout rate would have gone up against better ACC pitchers. (Although his non-conference schedule did include two games against Florida, one against Auburn and one versus Nebraska.) The general consensus is that Bailey did improve his swing his sophomore season, so that’s a positive sign. The one other piece of good news is that while Bailey does have a good deal of swing-and-miss, he also has the patience to take bad pitches and grab a walk. He certainly has a real three-true-outcomes (home run, walk, strikeout) potential.
While Bailey actually runs well for a guy his size, he’s also probably purely a first baseman. The good news is that he’s shown himself to be quite nimble there and he could be an above-average defensive first baseman.
The Cubs almost never take a pure first baseman in the draft and when they do, they usually wait until late on the second day. That they took Bailey with a second round pick means that they must really believe in that power potential and that they can get him to make enough contact that he can get to that impressive power.
MLB Pipeline had Bailey as the 83rd-best draft prospect and Baseball America had him at 96, so generally in line with the 75th overall pick. Keith Law of The Athletic did not have him among his Top 100 picks, which makes sense as Law is much more wary of contact issues than many other evaluators.
Bailey is the kind of roll-the-dice pick that some wanted the Cubs to make with their first or second pick. There’s a real All-Star upside with Bailey. There’s a perfect world where Bailey hits 30+ home runs with an OBP of around .340 thanks to a lot of walks, even if the batting average remains low. There’s another world where Bailey is unable to overcome his contact issues and he washes out in Double-A. It’s a pick I’d feel better about in the third round than the end of the second, but if the Cubs really believe in the power and don’t think he’d have lasted until their next pick, I guess they had to take him here. It is a real departure from their normal approach, which I think is a good thing, at least.
The Cubs saw the medical reports on his ankle at the Draft Combine, so that’s clearly not something that bothers them. It seems unlikely to be chronic and if he remains at first base, any loss of foot speed would have a minimal impact.
First, watch Bailey hit this ball 468 feet as a freshman. This is one of the most impressive home runs you’ll see.
And here are some general highlights of Bailey as a sophomore, including some good defense at first base.
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Chaney Johnson #31 of the Brooklyn Nets drives to the basket during the game against the New York Knicks during the 2026 NBA Summer League game on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Nets opened their Las Vegas Summer League with a 91-65 blowout victory over the Knicks on Friday, fueled by an encouraging glimpse of Brooklyn’s future backcourt. Egor Dëmin and rookie Mikel Brown Jr. each dropped 20 points to power a decisive second-half surge after a slow start from both.
We’ll see who suits up tonight against the Hawks. It is, after all, a back-to-back. Eight overall pick Kingston Flemings leads the way for Atlanta.
🏀 Key Info
Who: Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks
When: 8:00 PM ET
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
TV/Stream: ESPN, YES/Gotham
💬 Discussion
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The Yankees lineup was asleep for most of the game, but three late home runs pushed them to a 4-2 win over the Nationals on Saturday afternoon.
Just like the opener, the Yankees leaned on the long ball to drive in runs. Ryan McMahon, who didn't start but pinch-hit early for AmedRosario, smashed a 416-foot shot to get the Yankees on the board in the eighth. Two batters later, Trent Grisham gave the Yankees the lead with a two-run shot.
Paul Goldschmidt went back-to-back with Grisham to cap off the comeback as the Yankees run their winning streak to three games.
Here are the takeaways...
-Cam Schlittler's day got off to a tough start. JamesWood smashed Schlittler's first pitch over the wall. Curtis Mead would also go deep, putting the Yankees in an early 2-0 hole. Both homers came on fastballs up in the zone.
It was an uncharacteristic game for Schlittler, who walked four batters, which forced him to pitch out of trouble multiple times. But the first-time All-Star settled down, leaving after two outs in the seventh.
Schlittler allowed two runs on four hits, four walks while striking out six across his 6.2 innings of work.
-The bullpen immediately got into trouble. Brent Headrick came in with two outs in the seventh for Schlittler and allowed back-to-back singles and a walk to load the bases. Headrick struck out CJ Abrams to end the Nationals threat and preserve the two-run deficit.
-The Yankees had trouble with RISP for the second game in a row. After going 0-for-5 in those situations on Friday, they went 0-for-8 with RISP and left seven on base.
-David Bednar, after pitching two innings on Friday, locked down the save, allowing one base runner in an otherwise clean ninth.
-Ben Rice continued his hot streak, going 2-for-2 with two walks.
Jim and Landon Thome after Nazareth Academy won the IHSA 3A state championship in 2023. | Ted Piton
The Thome legacy continues on the South Side, as Chicago used their newly-acquired 34th overall pick to select infielder Landon Thome, the son of White Sox legend and Hall-of-Famer, Jim Thome.
In a swap on Friday evening, GM Chris Getz traded IF Jacob Gonzalez and RHP Brandon Eisert to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for the 34th overall pick, giving the South Siders an extra pick. It seemed that the motive behind the trade was that they didn’t believe Thome would still be around by their second round pick (No. 41), and their plan worked.
Thome is 18 years old, hailing from Nazareth Academy — roughly 18 miles from downtown Chicago — and is the top-ranked shortstop in Illinois, and 19th-best in the nation according to Prep Baseball. While the White Sox did just select SS Roch Cholowsky as the first overall pick, Thome’s versatility across the infield, with the ability to play second and third base, gives him an advantage to slot into other positions while still adding a lefty power bat in the lineup. It also certainly doesn’t hurt to have a HOF dad as a mentor to the game and to help guide Landon’s approach at the plate.
Not only did the lefty highlight his power in his senior season with the Nazareth Roadrunners, but he also showcased his capability at getting on base at an insanely high rate with a .630 on-base percentage, walking 30 times compared to just 12 strikeouts. Not too shabby at all, and unsurprising considering his dad walked quite a bit (16.9% average BB%), and didn’t have a crazy strikeout rate by any means. Landon posted a .533 batting average at the plate, amounting to a whopping 1.676 OPS including eight home runs, 35 RBIs, and 49 steals, also showing his speed and ability to cause trouble on the base paths.
Something that is not completely apparent in Thome’s stats is that he is always working hard to perfect his game, and holds himself to a high standard both on and off the field. The Thome family has always been such a lovely part of the larger White Sox family, and having Landon join the organization while following in his dad’s footsteps is a great story in the making.
When we spoke with Andrea Thome — Landon’s mom — last Spring, she only had glowing things to say about her son, highlighting his work ethic and positive attitude.
“Landon is a special person, and I’m not just saying that because he’s our son. He works hard on the field and in the classroom, and thanks to the example set by his head coach and mentor, Lee Milano, he’s also made service to others a huge part of who he is. We are honored to be his parents and can’t wait to see where his path leads.”
With the great vibes that are already flowing through the White Sox clubhouse, and within the larger organization, Thome seems like the perfect player to add to the mix in the future of the team. Welcome to the South Side, Landon!
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 10: Danny Wolf #2 of the Brooklyn Nets dribbles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks during the 2026 NBA Las Vegas Summer League on July 10, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 Candice Ward/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Knicks have gotten every last say against the Nets and its fans this past year, but not Summer League. Nope. Nets were not having that. They defeated the defending champs in Las Vegas 91-65 with Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin each scoring 20 points in the victory.
Brooklyn moves onto face Atlanta on Saturday, a team boasting No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings. By little surprise, Mikel Brown Jr. and Egor Dëmin are out tonight (second night of a back-to-back). The rest will play and Joshua Jefferson (28th pick) will make his Nets Summer League debut.
With or without the main acts, there will be plenty of minutes to be earned for the others. Enjoy!
📺 Watch
Who: Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks
When: 8:00 PM ET
Where: Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas
TV/Stream: ESPN, YES/Gotham
🏀 The Game
The Nets finished with a 2-1 record in the California Classic, and they defeated the Knicks on Friday without any problem. Things are looking good for the guys in black-and-white. Truly. The fanbase is slowly coming around to the new backcourt — two interchangeable guards who seemingly get along with one another.
That’s what it’s all about in Brooklyn. Plenty of losses the team can dwell on but right now the focus is on the good, it appears. We’ll see if that sentiment remains during the regular season, but again, it’s fun right now.
Unfortunately we won’t get primetime Mikel Brown Jr. on ESPN against Kingston Flemings and the Hawks. Brown Jr. of course was taken two picks ahead of Flemings in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Otherwise, keep an eye on the other guys. There are three games left and it’s crucial for young players like Drake Powell to step up. He hasn’t shot the ball particularly well this summer, nor has he done enough to crack a spot in a rotation that’s running deep — and now is evaluation time.
In a poll surveying fans on NetsDaily, the community voted that Powell has the most to prove entering the season. Here’s the good news: he’s still only 20.
💪 Yay, Gore.
It’s no secret that Egor Dëmin is looking stronger and playing like it, too. He was asked about it on Friday night (via Erik Slater).
“I got so much stronger, and that gave me more confidence. The next step is trying. The more I try it, I think it gets better and better. So I’m very excited about all the work that I’ve done, and it’s gonna keep growing.”
It’s worth noting how Egor barely attacked the rim at Summer League last year. Now he’s a menace in that area. Hopefully we’ll get to see him on Saturday — it’s becoming clear that his days playing in Vegas are numbered, until an expansion team arrives, of course.
🫡 The Randle Effect
If you’ve been around long enough then you’ll know how much Sean Marks appreciates his guys going out to Summer League and supporting one another. Not all are in attendance, but a newcomer arrived and his presence is already being felt.
That guy is the newest acquisition: Julius Randle. Whether you like him or not, he’s someone who instills positive values into teams. He spoke on being a leader for Mikel Brown Jr.
“I just told him I was excited to help him. I really wanna that vet he can come and talk to. I know how it is early in your career… I can be that veteran shoulder he can lean on every single day, whether it’s frustration, the highs and lows, teaching him how to work every single day, weight room, whatever it is. Or if he just needs to talk about life, I wanna be that vet for him and help him out. But he’s great. He’s got a steady head on his shoulders. You can just tell he’s a good kid who comes from a great family.”
Randle did tremendous things with the Knicks before they shipped him to Minnesota. He was right at the forefront of their culture shift with a bunch of young players. He’s a former All-Star and he still put up 21 points and eight rebounds in a tough Western Conference last season.
We know Brooklyn loves their high character vets, but Randle will be more than that for Brooklyn.
🎞️ From the Vault
Exactly 10 years ago today, the Nets and Hawks faced off in Summer League. This was Marks’ first summer as GM, and Chris McCullough led the Nets with 16 points and seven rebounds in a seven-point win. That Nets team had Isaiah Whitehead, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and Sean Kilpatrick all playing for the Summer League team.
Jul 11, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants third baseman Casey Schmitt (10) connects for a three-run home run against the Colorado Rockies during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Casey Schmitt hit a three-run homer in the sixth that ended up being the game-winner and ruined an otherwise decent day on the mound from Kyle Freeland. The Rockies offense was held to six hits and their eighth-inning rally came up short.
The win put the Giants (40-55) up 2-1 in the series and dropped the Rockies to 39-58.
Freeland fab for 4 before trouble hit
Freeland (2-8, 7.36 ERA) was on his game for the first four innings. He only allowed a single from Luis Arraez in the first four frames, retiring the first nine he faced. He even posted five strikeouts in the first four innings. Freeland was pretty effective even through the fifth inning when he gave up a pair of doubles to Bryce Eldridge and Jesus Rodriguez that allowed the Giants to tie the game at 1-1.
It was the three hits in the six that hurt the most. Not so much the back-to-back singles from Heliot Ramos and Arraez, but it was the homer from Schmitt. Schmitt took advantage of a knuckle curve that hung up too high and sent it flying 415 feet to left center field for his 19th homer of the year.
Freeland bounced back with three straight strikeouts — raising his total for the day to nine — to end the inning. One of those included striking out Arraez, the talented hitter who rarely strikes out. The first-inning K was only Arraez’s 16th strikeout of the season.
“I thought Kyle was excellent today. He was efficient, attacked the strike zone, his fastball was really good and his changeup was really good,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I just felt like he was in command of the game. Other than the one swing from Schmitt, it was a really good outing.”
But in a low-scoring affair, a 4-1 deficit seemed insurmountable. Freeland left the game after the sixth inning, having given up four runs on six hits with no walks and nine strikeouts.
Eighth-inning scoring continues
The Rockies entered the eighth inning trailing 4-1, but in true Colorado fashion, managed to shrink the lead. With two outs, Kyle Karros crushed his ninth homer of the year, a 435-foot blast to left center field.
Unfortunately, that’s all the Rockies could muster. After only striking out three times in the first six innings, the Rockies struck out four times in the final three innings. Brett Sullivan and Hunter Goodman each doubled in the game. Schaeffer tried to spark the offense when he put in pinch hitters Cole Carrigg and Willi Castro in the ninth, but both came up empty.
Zach Agnos threw two scoreless innings with one walk and one hit in another solid outing from the Rockies bullpen.
A strange series of off events
The Rockies scored first in a very unusual way. It happened in the third inning when Sullivan, who grew up an hour and a half outside of San Francisco, led off with a double. After Jack McCarthy moved Sullivan to third on a grounder, Mickey Moniak came to the plate. Tyler Mahle was then called for a balk. The umpires met, confirmed the call and sent Sullivan home, putting the Rockies up 1-0.
It got even weirder when Moniak appeared to strike out swinging on a high fastball. Moniak went to take a seat in the dugout, only to be called back because the pitch Mahle threw after the balk didn’t count. Giants manager Tony Vitello argued the call and got ejected in the process. Moniak returned to the plate and hit a single. The Rockies were unable to take advantage, however, as Goodman lined out and TJ Rumfield flied out.
Mahle pitched a gem, giving up only that one run on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts in seven innings.
“He mainly pitched with his fastball. He was really good,” Schaeffer said of Mahle. “He had hop at the top, his splitter vs. the left-handers was good and he just pitched. He used his fastball a ton. We had no answer for him today.”
Other than the homer to Karros, JT Brubaker continued to keep the Rockies quiet to earn his first save of the season.
Up next
The Rockies and Giants will conclude their four-game series on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. at Oracle Park. In their final contest before the All-Star Break, the Rockies will send Michael Lorenzen (3-9, 6.46) to the mound, while Trevor McDonald (3-7, 5.46 ERA) will get the start for San Francisco.
