The Pittsburgh Penguins are entering next season with the hope of building off successful 2025-26 campaign. One of the reasons for their success last season was due to multiple players hitting new levels for them.
Could prospect Owen Pickering be the next player to break out for the Penguins? The possibility should not be ruled out.
While Pickering has not become a full-time NHL player at this stage in his career, he has the ability to change that. The 22-year-old defenseman has a lot of potential, and it would not be surprising if he breaks out next season. This is especially so when noting that he has a real shot of making the Penguins' roster.
The left side of the Penguins' defense notably got weaker this off-season. This is because defenseman Ryan Shea signed with the Edmonton Oilers in free agency, while Parker Wotherspoon was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. With this, there are spots to fight for on Pittsburgh's blueline, and it would not be surprising if Pickering gets more looks next season because of it.
Pickering also is coming off a strong season in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. In 68 games, he posted seven goals, 21 assists, 28 points, and a plus-16 rating. This was after he had two goals and 13 points in 47 games with the AHL club in 2024-25.
Overall, Pickering has the tools to blossom into a very solid NHL defenseman. It will be interesting to see if the 2022 first-round pick has that big breakout year for Pittsburgh in 2026-27 from here.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 26: Evan Carter #32 of the Texas Rangers is unable to catch a fly ball during the third inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field on July 26, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning.
Shawn McFarland writes about what we’ve learned about the Texas Rangers playing in a historically unexceptional division in 2026.
Jeff Wilson writes that the American League West slap fight continued yesterday with Texas missing a chance to sink the Mariners.
McFarland writes that the growing need for high leverage bullpen help reared its ugly head in a late loss to Seattle.
McFarland writes that a rehab stint could be the next step for Seager as the Rangers hope to get their superstar back for the stretch run.
Someone at The Athletic predicts that the bold move that the Rangers will make at the deadline will be acquiring Luke Weaver. I’d take Levi Weaver back on the beat, personally.
McFarland writes that Rangers prospect John Taylor is one step away from the big leagues after choosing professional baseball over YouTube success.
And, Eric Nadel penned an essay about how the landscape for sports, recreation, and live music have changed in the in DFW.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 19: Sam Huff #31 of the Baltimore Orioles reacts after striking out during the second inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 19, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Sam Huff was the final out of both Orioles losses over the weekend. How little did the Braves fear Huff’s bat? On Sunday, they intentionally walked the bases loaded, putting the winning run into scoring position, so that they could face Huff instead of Jackson Holliday. Huff is batting just .121 as a big leaguer this season and is 0-for-10 since being re-added to the Orioles roster on July 19th. It was probably a very easy decision for Braves manager Walt Weiss.
This is not Huff’s fault. He is an organizational depth catcher that has been thrust into a larger role due to the Orioles needs at the moment. If there had been any other hitter on the bench, Craig Albernaz would have subbed them in. Heck, if this had been a game under NL rules from a decade ago and the Orioles had a pitcher with any sort of positive hitting record they may have been the better option.
While the Orioles probably didn’t expect much from Huff and his current catching partner Chadwick Tromp, they likely hoped for a bit more than they are getting at the moment.
Huff owns a career .686 OPS in the big leagues after all, had a .598 OPS with the Giants last year, and has compiled a .608 OPS in Triple-A this year. None of that is good, but it’s passable. With the Orioles this year he is slashing .121/.147/.182 (.329 OPS). His expected numbers are even worse (0.94 xBA, .180 xSLG, .134 xwOBA).
Tromp is a career .215/.222/.355 major league hitter and had some decent moments for the Orioles just last season. This season, he’s 3-for-17 in Baltimore with six strikeouts and zero walks. And just like Huff, his expected numbers are horrible. He has a .178 xwOBA, .181 xBA, and .230 xSLG.
O’s first baseman Pete Alonso spoke to the media after the loss on Sunday. The current catching situation was brought up, and Alonso gave a pretty long response, according to MLB.com’s Jake Rill. Here is a snippet:
“They’re doing a phenomenal job. Those guys understand the role. They’re true high-quality professionals, and they’ve done a phenomenal job with the pitching staff, the game-calling, defensively back there. It’s been top tier. So they’ve been phenomenal for us in their role. They’ve been doing everything and more.”
It is wise of Alonso to focus on the defensive aspect of the current catching duo. At least that part of their game looks major league caliber, and you can lean on the fact that the starting pitchers have been quite good recently. That isn’t necessarily due to Huff and Tromp, but they haven’t done much to negatively impact the games on defense either.
Dealing with your top two catchers on the IL at the same time is a tough situation. If at least one of Adley Rutschman or Samuel Basallo were available, the team would simply shift to a more traditional setup with a primary backstop that starts five or six times a week while the backup appears as little as possible. They don’t have that luxury.
Over on MLB.com, Rill provided a rundown of some of the things that the Orioles could do to address their catching situation in the short-term. The options provided there are as follows:
Yohel Pozo, a 29-year-old the O’s claimed from the Cardinals last week. He has seen big league action in three different seasons, including 2026. Officially, the organization has Pozo in Double-A, though he is actually their current taxi squad backstop.
Creed Willems, one of the team’s top catching prospects. He is hitting .256/.353/.420 with 13 home runs in Triple-A this year. There are big questions defensively, however, and the Orioles have given him a lot of time at first base as well.
Trade for a catcher. Tyler Stephenson is named as a possible fit. He’s been worth 1.3 bWAR for the Reds this season, has a .712 OPS with eight home runs, and will be a free agent after this season.
Trading for a catcher seems extremely unlikely, unless it is a waiver claim situation. When healthy, the Orioles have the best duo of backstops in the sport. Neither would seem to have a season-ending injury, and both are under control for 2027.
If the Orioles think Willems’ bat is ready, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to give him a chance. The caveat is that it would be irresponsible to make him the primary defensive catcher. He is a player that could fit in the three-catcher setup that the team occasionally rolls out. So he could plug and play where needed. Given the number of off days the team has and will have recently, maybe they could go down a bullpen arm for a week to try it out.
Pozo is the boring but likely next man up. He has shown nothing offensively to suggest he will be “good,” but putting the ball in play at all might be an upgrade from what the Orioles are getting out of the catcher position right now.
The only other creative option I would throw out there would be a promotion of Ethan Anderson from Double-A. His defense is not highly regarded, but it is probably a tier above Willems. He’s also only at Double-A and not Rule 5 eligible until 2027. But he has a 127 OPS+ with Chesapeake this season and trending upward. He gets good marks for his makeup, so perhaps the maturity is there to come up and do a nice job.
The issue with this whole conversation is that it probably needed to happen a week ago, or a month ago, or prior to the season altogether. The damage has been done. The drop off from Rutschman/Basallo to Huff/Tromp has negatively impacted the Orioles, and they don’t have any obvious, better solution to the problem.
Rutschman threw the ball over the weekend, though he is still not catching, which is significant since it is his non-throwing left wrist that has caused the problems. Even so, it seems like he is inching his way back. Any sort of roster move now would seem to be incredibly short term. That could still win the Orioles a game, so it’s worth doing to gain any sort of advantage. But it won’t make up for what they have already lost out on.
To be clear, the Orioles are not perpetually behind in the wild card standings this season because their third and fourth string catchers aren’t good enough. There’s a laundry list of causes well above that. But it is an illustration of the team sticking with a player or a strategy that clearly isn’t working out for longer than they should. A more proactive club probably would have made a move to address their organizational catching depth weeks ago. Instead, the Orioles have had to pay for their patience.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 11: Commissioner of Major League Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr. takes the stage to announce the nineteenth overall pick by the Cleveland Guardians 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 wild ride that is Logan Schmidt’s draft process took another turn today, as the high school graduate announced on Instagram that he will not sign his professional deal with the Cleveland Guardians.
It was just two weeks ago that Schmidt was drafted #59 overall by the Guardians in the 2nd round of the MLB Draft. Slot value for that pick was $1,598,900, far less than his reported asking price. In the pre-draft process, his number was said to be $5 million.
That high of a signing bonus would have had him lined up in the top-20 of the draft, but he was no longer expected to go that high. He was, at one time, but the LHP dropped on teams’ boards after the MLB Combine due to his interviews. He changed agents going in to the combine, as well, which was odd timing considering the draft was just weeks away.
Leading in to the draft, questions about his signability began to arise, leading scouts to believe that he could end up making it to LSU. Nonetheless, his name was called on day 1 at #59 overall, prompting everyone to believe that his next step was settled and he’d be signing professionally.
Not so fast. Jason Armstrong of Inside LSU Baseball reported today that Schmidt and the Guardians never did come to an agreement before they drafted him.
Just got a phone call from Logan Schmidt’s agent, Garrett Parcell.
He said the Guardians drafted Schmidt without an agreement in place. Schmidt’s camp was seeking a deal in line with the other premier prep lefties ($3-4M) but the sides never got close.
— Inside LSU Baseball (@Insidelsubsbl) July 26, 2026
For those that don’t know, the MLB draft process is far different from the other professional drafts. In the NFL and NBA drafts, organizations select a player and his rights. Pro ball is their only option at that point. Players selected in the MLB draft can opt for collegiate ball, even if drafted by an MLB organization, as long as they have eligibility remaining. So, teams and draft prospects will typically have a deal in place before the name is officially turned in to avoid situations like this.
As Jason reported, Schmidt was seeking a signing bonus equal to other high school LHPs in the class ($3-4 million). After Cleveland signed their second to last drafted prospect on Friday, they were left with only around $1.7 million in their bonus pool, clearly far less than he was negotiating for.
That gap is what has led us to this point.
What next, then? Once the deadline for teams to sign their draftees passes on Monday, July 27th at 5 pm ET, college is Schmidt’s only traditional option. He could choose to uphold his commitment to LSU or he could choose to go the junior college route.
If he chose JUCO, he could re-enter the draft next year after just one season in college and try to get his worth in 2027. He would likely show out against lesser competition, but would the maturity questions be answered? How much could be prove in a year at a small school where the players help with field upkeep? Or would it simply be a re-do in hopes that one of the other 29 teams give him the number he was looking for this year?
As for LSU, the proof is in the pudding, as they say. Jay Johnson has won two titles in his first five years at the helm for the Tigers and has had players get drafted at #1, #2, #3, #5, and #6 overall in just those five years. Kade Anderson is a former LHP who was highly ranked coming out of high school, spent two years in Baton Rouge, got drafted #3 overall, and is now the #1 prospect in the Seattle Mariners organization and blowing through the minor league system. He will be in the big leagues sooner than later.
While it’s easy to sit back from the outside and acknowledge how appealing the LSU option is, what needs to be considered is Schmidt’s age. At only 17 years old, he would not again be eligible for the MLB draft for another three years. As I was told last night, kids from California don’t necessarily grow up dreaming to play at Alex Box. That’s not to say that he would not like to, but if a kid finishes high school and is dead-set on getting drafted to begin his professional career, a three year extension could feel like an eternity, despite the perks that come with it.
The talks of how Jay Johnson will manage his roster for the 2027 season have been prominent, but make no mistake, he would find a spot for Schmidt if he needs to.
With the MLB being out of the picture, the next deadline would be the start of school next month. An answer could come tomorrow or it could be in a few weeks, but either way, Logan Schmidt is going to college.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JULY 26: Ezequiel Duran #20 and Wyatt Langford #36 of the Texas Rangers react after colliding during the ninth inning of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field on July 26, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by John E. Moore III/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Mariners 6, Rangers 4
A four game sweep is not in the cards.
This was, really, a game that the Rangers were fortunate to be up in for as long as they were.
Jacob deGrom was fine, overall. He was also somewhat fortunate. The Mariners were making good contact off of him throughout, and he had just four strikeouts in the game.
The Rangers, meanwhile, were not exactly beating up on Mariners starter Logan Gilbert.
Joc Pederson’s hustle double, followed by Wyatt Langford’s single and a Ezequiel Duran sac fly, got the Rangers on the board in the first.
The two runs they scored off of Gilbert in the fourth, giving Texas a 3-1 lead, were of the good fortune variety.
Brandon Nimmo reached on an infield single that caromed off of Gilbert, and which Gilbert made a poor throw to first to try to get him. A Jake Burger walk and an Evan Carter single were followed by a Nicky Lopez grounder that I thought was going to potentially be a double play, but which was generously scored a single when an attempted throw to second went high.
I’ve now listed five of the six hits the Rangers had on the day. The sixth was an Ezequiel Duran home run in the eighth to make the game closer.
You aren’t going to win a whole ton of games when you have just six hits.
Still, it looked like the Rangers might steal this one. When deGrom allowed two singles to start the sixth, and was pulled for Robby Ahlstrom, the first batter Ahlstrom faced, Josh Naylor, smoked a line drive right at Lopez at second base. A run scoring hit was instead an out, Ahlstrom retired the next two batters, and you thought, the Rangers are going to pull this one out.
But no. The bullpen couldn’t get it done. A pair of hits off of Tyler Alexander resulted in Skip Schumaker going to get Cole Winn with two on and one out in the seventh.
I thought Jakob Junis would get the nod in that situation, but I suppose he was being saved for the eighth inning.
As it turned out, Junis wasn’t used at all, as Winn, after getting Julio Rodriguez to pop out, gave up a two run, two out blast to Dominic Canzone.
It was momentum shifting.
Randy Arozarena added another homer to pad the lead, which was unfortunate. Ezequiel Duran homered to bring them back within one, only to see that run given back by Peyton Gray in the top of the ninth.
The bullpen is a problem.
But you probably already knew that.
Jacob deGrom hit 99.2 mph with his fastball, averaging 97.3 mph. Robby Ahlstrom touched 97.2 mph with his fastball. Tyler Alexander’s fastball topped out at 93.1 mph. Cole Winn reached 95.1 mph with his fastball. Ben Peoples maxed out at 97.1 mph with his fastball. Peyton Gray’s fastball reached 93.4 mph.
Joc Pederson had a 106.9 mph double. Ezequiel Duran had a 106.3 mph home run.
The rare Monday day game for the finale. Let’s win the series, okay?
The Houston Rockets have not made as much of a splash this summer as they did last year, when they acquired Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns.
This offseason has been all about adding veterans to the mix, which is why the team signed point guard Marcus Smart from the Los Angeles Lakers and Bogdan Bogdanovic from the Los Angeles Clippers. They are also getting Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams back into the mix, which will hopefully make the Rockets a more complete team. Because of this, their lack of major moves shouldn’t be viewed as a negative, at least not yet.
“Houston is banking on Fred VanVleet’s return from injury (torn right ACL) and another year of collective development for its young players to translate into postseason progress. It’s not a terrible bet given that the Thunder, Lakers and Timberwolves all lost key players this summer, but it will require Kevin Durant and Alperen Sengun to function more effectively as a partnership in their second season together,” ESPN contributor Ben Golliver wrote.
“This much is clear: The pressure will quickly mount on Stone to make changes if Houston can’t fix its clunky offense, which fell to pieces in the playoffs.”
The Rockets have been building this team together for several years, so their lack of progress from 2025 to 2026 isn’t going to lead to a massive breakup. However, the pressure is now on for the team to perform in the upcoming season.
Houston hopes that VanVleet’s presence back in the lineup will organize the offense and keep the team focused on that end of the floor. In terms of defense, improvements from Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason and Amen Thompson will be key.
There are still several flaws with the Rockets, but the path is there for them to be one of the best teams in the Western Conference, giving them a chance to compete with the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder to challenge them in a playoff series.
DETROIT, MI - MAY 1: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks high fives Walt Frazier after the game during Round 1 Game 6 on May 1, 2025 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Let’s start this off by being completely honest about New York’s point guard history. For the better part of the last three decades, the position has been a total nightmare. The Knicks spent years wandering through a wasteland, hoping for someone competent enough to run a simple pick-and-roll or bring the ball up without causing a turnover against a press. As fans, we talked ourselves into the Emmanuel Mudiay reclamation project. We lived through the Alexey Shved era. We found ourselves debating Frank Ntilikina’s defensive metrics and trying to convince each other that Chris Duhon was a long-term answer.
However, when you trudge through the muck and zoom out a bit, a different story comes to life. When the Knicks actually have an elite floor general, the team does not just compete. They win championships.
This Mt. Rushmore is not about empty box scores. It is not a mountain for guys who sold a lot of shoes and put up 20 points a night while the team zombie-walked to 50 losses. Yeah, I am looking at you, Stephon Marbury. It is not even about brief, two-week flashes of global phenomenon status, either. Jeremy Lin, we will always love you, but a fortnight does not make the mountain. Our Mt. Rushmore is reserved for impact on winning, setting the culture, and elevating the franchise when it mattered most.
Two spots on the mountain are already set. Just look to 1970, 1973, and 2026. Today, we look to carve out the final two faces. Of course, we need to show some love to the undisputed point guard royalty in New York.
Walt “Clyde” Frazier
Walt “Clyde” Frazier may be known by most younger fans as the guy with the cool suits and rhymes for days. But before he blessed the MSG Network with his commentary, he served as the engine behind the Knicks’ only two championships of the 20th century. Without him, New York basketball history looks very different.
For his era, Frazier’s numbers are insane. Thriving at both ends of the court, he averaged 19.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 6.3 rebounds per game, while also making the All-Defensive First Team seven times. In a time dominated by the likes of Jerry West and Oscar Robertson, Clyde settled in as the premier two-way perimeter player. Consistently turning defense into transition offense, he possessed a top-notch ability to read passing lanes and cause turnovers.
The main reason Frazier’s face is the first one carved into our Mt. Rushmore of Knicks floor generals is Game 7 of the 1970 Finals. Yes, we all know the game because of the Willis Reed injury and the legendary tunnel walk. However, the only reason the Knicks actually won that game was that Walt completely carried the team. On the biggest stage imaginable, he recorded 36 points, 19 assists, 7 rebounds, and 5 steals. To this day, his performance in that game remains one of the most clutch in NBA history.
Jalen Brunson
After Frazier, the next obvious point guard to make the mountain is Jalen Brunson. When Leon Rose signed Brunson away from Dallas, the national media had a field day dubbing the acquisition a massive overpay for an undersized secondary option. Boy were they all wrong. Instead, Brunson pulled the Knicks out of the dark ages and turned New York back into the basketball hotbed it’s supposed to be.
Brunson’s footwork in the paint, his midrange mastery, and his unmatched will to win late in games transformed New York’s gritty, hard-working roster into an offensive powerhouse. He racked up All-NBA selections, typically kept his point total close to 28 points per game, and took on the heaviest offensive burden.
Of course, his spot was cemented when he led the Knicks to the 2026 NBA Championship. Breaking the curse that haunted this fanbase for generations, Brunson buried the 90s heartbreaks and 2000s embarrassments for good. There is no debate that his face is right next to Clyde’s on the giant rock.
The Final Two Spots
So who fills the rest of Mt. Rushmore? This is where the real debate begins. There are a few point guards who left their mark on the franchise, but only two can join Clyde and Brunson.
If we consider breathing life back into Madison Square Garden, Mark Jackson has a case. Drafted 18th overall in 1987 out of local St. John’s, Jackson immediately electrified his hometown team after the Knicks suffered through a rough few years in the mid-80s.
Averaging 13.6 points and 10.6 assists a game, Jackson won the 1988 Rookie of the Year. The next season, he made his way to the All-Star team. Flashy, tough, and elite at setting up his teammates, Jackson embodied a true New York point guard. He successfully orchestrated the offense, assisting in the rise of another Knicks legend, Patrick Ewing. Mastering the alley-oop and executing the teardrop floater, Jackson helped build a foundation of success that lasted a decade.
Sometimes, it serves us well to dive back into New York’s deep history, even if the highlights can be tricky to decipher.
Dick McGuire was the original point guard behind Knicks basketball. Another St. John’s product, “Tricky Dick” was a skillful and unselfish playmaker known for his behind-the-back passes. Leading the NBA in assists as a rookie in the 1949-1950 season, McGuire made five All-Star teams during his eight seasons in New York.
Of course, the real argument for including him is the sustained success the Knicks experienced with him at point guard. He led New York to three consecutive NBA Finals, garnering enough respect in the franchise to share in the retirement of his number 15, along with Earl Monroe. Though most of us were not around to watch McGuire strut his stuff, you don’t lead a team to three straight Finals and share the rafters with “The Pearl” for being a slouch.
We cannot have a serious conversation about the point guard position without showing a little love to Charlie Ward. Possessing all the traits of the ’90s Knicks, he was a true glue guy and a fan favorite.
A former Heisman Trophy winner, Ward successfully translated his football player mentality to the basketball court. Never the most athletic or fastest player, he earned his playing time through intelligence and toughness. Ward started 68 games during the lockout-shortened 1999 season and ran the point for the eighth-seeded Knicks as they made a miraculous run to the NBA Finals. A complete pest defensively, he also served as a reliable 3-point shooter for his era.
Will we ever see an athlete like Charlie Ward again?
Long NBA Career Heisman Trophy Drafted TWICE in the MLB Draft
While it’s important to mention Ward, he does fall just short of making the mountain. An elite role player, he lacked the franchise-altering accolades of Jackson or McGuire.
After traveling through the eras, sifting through the stats, and considering the cultural significance and impact on winning, the final Mt. Rushmore for Knicks floor generals is set. At the end of the day, the mountain belongs to Walt Frazier, Jalen Brunson, Dick McGuire, and Mark Jackson. We have our two champions in Clyde and Brunson representing the highest moments in New York basketball. We have a pioneer responsible for building an early foundation and setting the standard in McGuire. Finally, there is the hometown kid who helped bring magic back to the Garden in Jackson.
So, where did I go wrong? Is it right to leave a member of the 1999 run off the mountain, or should Ward replace McGuire? DoesMarbury’ss raw talent warrant deeper consideration, or was it right to write him off completely? Make sure to share your thoughts and your point guard Mt. Rushmore below.
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 26: Luke Weaver #30 of the New York Mets (L) is greeted by Bo Bichette #19 after making a play in the field during the eighth inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Citi Field on July 26, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Within the span of a few hours, the Mets managed to get a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and Carlos Beltrán became the third member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame to sport a Mets cap. It can only go down from here.
After 11 innings and despite the bases being loaded when the last out was recorded, the Braves capped their weekend series in Baltimore with a win over the Orioles, 3-2.
On Sunday Night Baseball, the Phillies finally won a game against the Yankees with Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott driving in a combined nine runs in an 11-4 victory.
Jun 12, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas (20) is doused by shortstop Colson Montgomery (12), left, and pitcher Davis Martin (65) after the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | Matt Marton-Imagn Images
What a difference a year makes. The White Sox weren’t quite historically bad in 2025, but they still lost 102 games and were very much in the wilderness. Now they’re a game and a half clear of anyone in the division, and while they’re not necessarily projected to stay in that slot, first place is first place and someone in the annual AL Central Rock Fight needs to knock them off that perch.
The team has a couple real stars, after multiple seasons of trading away the only players that were halfway interesting. There are five hitters in the lineup that boast plus production, led by Miguel Vargas at third base, and a rotation that bounces between solid and quite good. You can see the pieces being set into place for what would be a genuinely good baseball team, and the Yankees can’t afford to assume this version of the Sox will just roll over and die.
The Yankees will be without Cody Bellinger, who was put on the IL with a bad hamstring on Sunday. With another All Star-caliber player unavailable, the pitching needs to once again carry the load — fortunately, the team has the three guys you want going to start the series, a good preview of a potential playoff deployment, and the fourth guy is coming off a damn good outing in his own right.
Monday — Max Fried vs. Noah Schultz (7:40pm Eastern)
Fried roared back into the rotation against the Pirates last week, throwing five innings with a 7:1 K:BB ratio while still on a limited pitch count. He lowered his season ERA to below 3.00 and certainly assuaged early concerns that he would need to be handled with kid gloves returning from his bone bruise. Now he’ll be brought to bear against a White Sox side that’s relatively mediocre against southpaws, managing just a 98 wRC+ so far this season.
Schultz was a first-round pick by the Sox, 12th overall back in 2022, but hasn’t really found his footing in his first taste of MLB action. He throws a four-seam/sinker combo that is mediocre, but the real problem has been a complete lack of anything resembling secondary stuff. One of the worst sweepers in baseball is paired with one of the worst changeups, and for a Yankee team that is dead set on having a lefty-specialist lineup, the goal has to be to hunt heaters and spit on any other offering.
Tuesday — Gerrit Cole vs. Anthony Kay (7:40pm Eastern)
Dadbod Cole is probably past the AL Cy Young frontrunner days, but has been solid enough outside of two rocky starts following Tommy John surgery. His last outing against Pittsburgh was a great test for what you see as valuable in pitching — he gave up two home runs but just two other hits, and struck out 11 against no walks in seven innings. He has the lowest walk rate of his career across the 11 starts he’s made this season, but that’s been paired with the second-highest home run rate he’s ever posted. He fills up the zone but has yet to figure out how to manage contact quality, and the White Sox can elevate the ball.
Anthony Kay, formerly of the Blue Jays, hasn’t had the best 2026. I tend to consider K-BB rate as the best singular stat to examine pitchers with, and Kay has just a 9 point separation between those two numbers. Cam Schlittler might just win the Cy Young award so it may be unfair to compare him to Kay, but HIS K-BB rate is over 25 percent. Good pitchers, you’re looking at somewhere between 15-20 percent. Kay doesn’t strike many men out, and walks his share, so the trick to success against him is going to be avoiding the chase. Make him bring the ball into the zone and there are hits to be found.
Wednesday — Cam Schlittler vs. Davis Martin (7:40pm Eastern)
We have an ace-off in game three. Writing about Schlittler is getting to be a bit superfluous, like Aaron Judge in the peak of an MVP campaign, there are only so many ways to say he’s standing above every other pitcher in the Junior Circuit. We’re fresh off his dominant Friday night performance against the Phillies, striking out a dozen across 7.1 shutout innings, hand-delivering the Yankees a 1-0 win. He is the most exciting player to watch on this Yankee roster, and we’ve begun to expect to win on every fifth day.
For his part, Davis Martin will give as good as he gets. Already worth 3.1 fWAR on the season, he’d be someone that gets Cy Young murmurings if not for the year Cam’s having. He was absolutely thumped in mid-June against the Yankees though, surrendering nine earned runs on a trio of home runs and not making it out of the fourth inning, He’ll be out for redemption on Wednesday night, and righties in the Yankee lineup will need to be particularly careful when facing one of baseball’s best changeups.
Thursday — Ryan Weathers vs. Sean Burke(2:10pm Eastern)
You can’t exactly copy and paste what I said above about Schlittler here. Weathers isn’t nearly as good and won’t get Cy Young consideration, but he is also coming off a stellar start against the Phillies. For me, the thing to watch about Weathers the rest of the year is fastball usage. His four-seam is honestly pretty pathetic, and I’ve been wondering all year when he’ll move his secondary pitches into his primary offerings, “pitching backwards” as the saying goes. He did that well on Saturday, and I think if he continues to do so he’ll move on the favorable side of average.
Burke, 26, is the second piece of a good 1-2 tandem with Martin, posting 2.5 fWAR so far in 2026. The opposite of Weathers in many ways, his four-seam is his bread and butter pitch while the changeup is an offering he’s best left leaving on the table. He was stellar in his one start against the Yankees this year, throwing 7.1 innings and allowing a single run, striking out eight with one walk. If he’s gonna do that again this go around, it’s a good thing the Yankees face him last.
Jul 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Trevor Megill (29) delivers a pitch against the Colorado Rockies in the ninth inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Welcome to week 18 of our 2026 NL Central Power Rankings — let’s rank some teams!
1. Milwaukee Brewers (66-39); 4-2 this week; 99.8% chance to make postseason (FanGraphs)
The Brewers continue to set the pace in the division, as they went 4-2 with a pair of series wins against the Mets and Rockies to wrap up a 7-2 homestand.
Cooper Pratt set the pace offensively, as the rookie led the team with nine hits, including the first two homers of his career to go with a double and a pair of steals. He also drove in a team-high six runs. Andrew Vaughn added two homers of his own, while Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, and Christian Yelich each had one. Rookie Luis Lara also had a big weekend, picking up four hits, including three doubles, and driving in five.
Jacob Misiorowski continues to dominate opposing lineups, as he picked up an incredible 18 strikeouts in just nine innings of work this week, allowing two runs (one earned). Robert Gasser went six frames with two runs allowed, striking out four in a win, while Logan Henderson went five frames and struck out nine with two runs allowed in his outing. Aaron Ashby, Abner Uribe, and Craig Yoho totaled 7 1/3 scoreless innings for the bullpen, striking out nine.
Milwaukee now heads out west, as they’ll visit the Giants and Angels for a pair of three-game series through the weekend.
2. Chicago Cubs (59-46); 3-3 this week; 87.4% chance to make postseason
The Cubs went 3-3 this week, dropping two of three against the Tigers before taking two of three against the Pirates.
Seiya Suzuki led the Cubs with three homers but had just one hit outside of that, batting .160 for the week, while Pete Crow-Armstrong continues to build an MVP case as he led the team with nine hits, including seven extra-base hits (three doubles, two triples, and two homers), slashing .391/.517/.957. Michael Busch added eight hits, including a homer, and Ian Happ and Michael Conforto also homered.
Shota Imanaga and David Peterson both turned in scoreless starts, as Imanaga went six frames with four strikeouts and Peterson went 6 2/3 innings with four strikeouts. Matthew Boyd went seven innings with one run allowed and four strikeouts, and Javier Assad and Gavin Hollowell each earned a save this week. Caleb Thielbar and Jacob Webb combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts for the bullpen.
Chicago now heads to St. Louis for a four-game set with the rival Cardinals before returning home to host the Yankees over the weekend.
3. Pittsburgh Pirates (54-52); 2-4 this week; 41.5% chance to make postseason
The Pirates had a rough week, dropping both of their series against the Yankees and Cubs for a 2-4 stretch.
Esmerlyn Valdez picked up two homers this week, while Nick Gonzales led the squad with nine hits, including a homer. Ryan O’Hearn added six hits, including a homer, and Jake Mangum also picked up six hits.
Bubba Chandler and Mitch Keller turned in the best starts of the week for Pittsburgh. Chandler went 6 1/3 innings with no runs and five strikeouts, while Keller went five scoreless frames with six strikeouts. Jared Jones added six innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. Wilber Dotel, Dennis Santana (who was DFA’d this week), and Gregory Soto totaled seven scoreless innings with seven strikeouts out of the bullpen.
Pittsburgh will stay home to host the D-backs for three games before heading to Cincinnati to take on the Reds for four games over the weekend.
4. St. Louis Cardinals (53-52); 2-5 this week; 19.0% chance to make postseason
The Cardinals had a busy week without much success. They dropped two of three against the lowly Angels in Los Angeles before hosting the D-backs for a makeup game on Thursday, losing 10-6. They then lost two of three to the Reds over the weekend.
Iván Herrera and JJ Wetherholt had the only homers of the week for St. Louis, while Alec Burleson raked his way to 12 hits, including three doubles. Jordan Walker added six hits, and Bryan Torres had three hits in just seven at-bats, driving in three.
Andre Pallante and Hunter Dobbins each picked up a win in their starts this week, with Pallante going seven scoreless with eight strikeouts and Dobbins spanning six scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Dustin May added a quality start with one run allowed over six innings, and Scott Blewett and Ryne Stanek totaled five scoreless innings with five strikeouts for the bullpen.
St. Louis now hosts their rival Cubs for four games before a visit to the Blue Jays for three games over the weekend.
5. Cincinnati Reds (49-55); 4-2 this week; 2.1% chance to make postseason
The Reds went 4-2 this week, as they’re now 6-3 out of the break after taking two of three against both the Mariners and Cardinals.
Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suárez both slugged a pair of homers this week, while JJ Bleday, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Sal Stewart, and Nathaniel Lowe added one each. Lowe also led the team with six hits as the only player to bat over .300 this week.
Chase Burns had another strong start, totaling five innings with no runs allowed and six strikeouts. Andrew Abbott made a pair of starts, spanning 12 innings with three runs allowed (two earned) and a team-high 10 strikeouts, while Emilio Pagán led the bullpen with three scoreless innings to pick up a trio of saves.
The Reds head back home to host the Guardians and Pirates over the next week.
LAS VEGAS — The best ability, in LJ Cryer’s case, really is availability.
“The main thing for me is just getting my body healthy, because when I’m healthy, I’m able to help the team,” Cryer said to reporters at Chase Center during Warriors Summer League Media Day. “… With me being a younger guy, I just got to be more available. … The more healthy I get, the more I’ll be able to bring to the table.”
Aside from a right foot injury that sidelined him for a large chunk of his sophomore year at Baylor, Cryer was relatively healthy throughout his five-year college career. But the start to his Warriors career didn’t go as smoothly from a health perspective.
Cryer dealt with a back injury off and on throughout December and January prior to him making his NBA debut with the Warriors on Jan. 19. He didn’t play a single game in February – not in the G League or NBA – because of a recurring hamstring issue. The same problem caused him to miss two games in March.
An illness in April sidelined him for another two games, and then in the third-to-last game of the regular season on April 10, Cryer sprained his right ankle coming down from a shot when he landed on Jarred Vanderbilt’s left foot in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers.
LJ Cryer had to be helped off the court after injuring his ankle on this play pic.twitter.com/4mjP4cFKoj
All in all, Cryer played in 36 games throughout his rookie year. He appeared in 18 games for Golden State, and another 18 for the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. That’s a strong number for someone who went undrafted. However, the inconsistency of Cryer’s availability was far from satisfactory in his own self-evaluation.
So, Cryer got to work. He stayed back in the Bay and could be seen running on the Embarcadero after a long workout at Chase Center. Injuries can often be out of a player’s control. Bad luck, as the Warriors learned all last season, is as real as it gets. Preparation is what athletes can control.
The change for Cryer started before the weight room. His focus has been how he serves his body, starting with how he fuels it. And he already can feel the results.
“I changed my diet, that was the main thing,” Cryer said in Las Vegas after the Warriors’ summer league win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. “And then I’ve been tracking my sleep. Those are the two most important things.”
Cryer, 24, played for two prestigious college programs in Baylor and Houston. He comes from a family of athletes, following in the footsteps of his parents who met as collegiate athletes at Grambling State. His younger brother was a college football player at Florida State, and Cryer has a long family lineage of other college athletes as well.
Discipline always has been a part of Cryer’s DNA. Stepping into the NBA also opened his eyes to a new understanding of what it takes, including the smallest details.
“Oh, I cut out a lot of foods,” Cryer said. “Just understanding what to put in your body. Obviously I had an idea of what to do, but sitting down with the performance staff and getting the detailed plan has helped me.”
What he eliminated is what we all could cut back on from time to time.
“Probably sweets, like candy. Stuff like that,” he says.
Cryer’s comments about no longer eating junk food and improving his sleep actually came after his lowest-scoring game of the summer when he tallied eight points, yet led the Warriors in assists (five) without any turnovers and was a game-high plus-17. It was Cryer, not top draft pick Yaxel Lendeborg, who led the Warriors in scoring during their summer league championship run in Las Vegas. Cryer, in six games in Las Vegas, averaged 15 points per game and had a 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Cryer’s summer league began with hot shooting at the California Classic on his home court, and it only continued for him in the desert. Cryer, in eight total games, averaged 14.0 points, second to Lendeborg’s 14.9. Each led the Warriors with 32 assists. Beyond the arc is where Cryer made his money, just like he can for Golden State.
Cryer this summer took 7.9 threes per game and made them at a 41.3 percent clip. His 63 3-point attempts were 26 more than any of his teammates, and they accounted for 75 percent of his total shots. The role Cryer can have on the Warriors in Year 2 is clear, and he’s making sure to show the franchise he’s ready to step into bigger shoes.
The way he can shoot the ball from long distance stands out most, but Cryer feels like a much better overall player as he prepares for his second pro season.
“Just all around,” Cryer said. “I think it’s due to me to working on my body this summer, just being more healthy. So I feel like I’ve taken a jump in every aspect of my game.”
The microwave scorer the Warriors still need might already be on their roster. Cryer, in his 18 games with the Warriors last season, averaged 5.2 3-point attempts and shot 39.4 percent. He made multiple threes in 11 games, which came after letting it fly in Santa Cruz. In his 18 G League games, Cryer shot 44.9 percent from 3-point range while taking 10.3 threes per game.
Pat Spencer’s departure opens a spot for Cryer to be the Warriors’ third point guard as the roster is currently constructed, whether he’s on a two-way contract or the 15-man roster. Even if they add another ball-handler, there still needs to be a spot for Cryer, who already is the Warriors’ second-best 3-point shooter, behind only Steph Curry, the greatest of all time.
Size isn’t on Cryer’s side. Generously listed at 6-foot, Cryer is a strong 202 pounds. Getting his body right and being available as much as possible for an older Warriors team is his ticket to next season and beyond.
One small change can lead to big results for Cryer and the Warriors.
Steph Curry is not surprised by LeBron James’ long-awaited decision.
Despite the former’s efforts to recruit the latter to join the Warriors in NBA free agency this offseason, James ultimately signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers over the weekend after weeks of recruitment by a handful of prominent teams.
Curry, speaking exclusively to The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson for a recent story, shared his reaction to James choosing Philadelphia over other teams, like Golden State.
“That’s why you don’t envision anything until it happens,” Curry told Thompson. “There’s a lot of moving parts.”
When James initially left the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this offseason, the Warriors were believed to be the most likely landing spot, but Golden State adding the 22-time All-Star became less and less likely in the weeks to follow.
James probably was the Warriors’ most realistic big-ticket addition this offseason, and after he chose to sign elsewhere, Golden State now must figure out where it goes from here and how it will improve and round out its roster for the 2026-27 NBA season with key players, like star forward Jimmy Butler and sixth-year wing Moses Moody, likely to miss significant time.
“The through line,” Curry shared with Thompson, “which is hard on anybody in this situation, especially with us keeping this thing together, is knowing that when Jimmy got hurt and Moses got hurt, the whole calculus of everything changes. How do you get through their absence and still stay at a certain level? And then how that goes into this year. It’s the same deal. So I’m a realist on that.”
“You hope that they both come back healthy and we can play at a level that keeps us relevant and competitive and builds a foundation so that we can figure out what it looks like. But that is the situation. We don’t live in any alternative universe.”
Golden State still has multiple roster spots to fill, so additional moves are expected before the start of training camp in late September.
Who will those players be? That remains a mystery to Curry. And probably the Warriors, too.
DETROIT, MI - APRIL 8: Wendell Moore Jr. #14 of the Detroit Pistons dribbles the ball during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on April 8, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Former Blue Devil Wendell Moore has been in the NBA for four years now, and he hasn’t really established himself, and it looks like he’s going to go a different direction.
Moore is reportedly talking to several European teams, including Partizan Belgrade and Hapoel Tel Aviv. However, he may be more interested in BC Roma SPQR.
The ownership includes Donnie Nelson and Luka Doncic, and the team plays in Serie A, which is the highest level in Italy.
The thing about the NBA is that the margin of error is razor-thin. For most of us, Moore would be a stunning athlete, but on the NBA level, as it has turned out, he’s probably marginal.
In Europe though, he could have a long and lucrative career. It’s probably a smart move.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 22: Dalton Rushing #68 of the Los Angeles Dodgers walks to the dugout during the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 22, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Since Will Smith last played on June 5, Dalton Rushing has started 30 of the Dodgers last 42 games behind the plate, by far the busiest stretch of catching of his career, as he moved around often in the minors as a bat-first prospect, playing some designated hitter, some first base, and even left field, though those positions are now occupied on the major league team.
“He’s proven that he certainly can play here on an every-day basis,” Roberts said. “When you’re an every-day catcher, you don’t get to cherry-pick when you play. I can’t cherry-pick matchups for him. So he’s playing against really good pitchers. He’s catching different pitchers. So he’s growing.
“I think he’s also understanding that to play more you’ve got to manage your emotions more. It’s just hard to be hot and cold when you’re playing five days a week. It’s all a part of his growth, which has been fun for me to watch.”
