The Mets looked good in a win over the Phillies in their first game back from the All-Star break, a game that was played amid the ominous wildfire haze that worsened as the evening progressed. Francisco Alvarez hit a pair of home runs in the victory.
Chelsea Janes reports that the Mets’ sale ahead of the August 3 trade deadline is very much on, noting that the team will listen to offers on anyone other than Soto, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Christian Scott, and Nolan McLean.
With Francisco Lindor’s name missing from that list, Jon Heyman reports that it’s a long shot that the Mets would actually trade him.
If you want a good laugh, multiple major league teams were using generative AI to make decisions in the dugout until the league did them a favor and banned it.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 03: Nelson Cruz delivers the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game between the Houston Astros and the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Thursday, April 3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Matt Krohn/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Whether by conscious choice or roster-building happenstance, one of the stanchions of the Rocco Baldelli Minnesota Twins regime was a veteran leader on the offense.
From 2019-2021, Nelson Cruz was cast in that role and about as effective as could have possibly been hoped for—headlining the ‘19 Bomba Squad and presenting a countenance on and off the field that was easy to aspire to.
From 2022-2025, the clubhouse leadership role was passed to surprising free-agent signing Carlos Correa—producing more controversial results. Because of his postseason success with the Houston Astros, C-4 was certainly looked upon as a veteran presence and acted accordingly. While some eventually warmed to his style, valid criticisms remained of his potential sign-stealing past, the way in which he mentored young players, and his willingness to jump ship back to south Texas at the first sign of strife.
However one feels about Correa’s departure, it left the Twins without an established offensive presence. Pablo Lopez—and now perhaps even two-time All-Star Joe Ryan—have the hurlers covered, but their meetings, schedule, and mentality are completely different from those of the batsmen.
Two logical figures to inherit the clubhouse leader tag would be Byron Buxton (for his talent) or Josh Bell (for his experience). While I’m sure Buck is a wonderful teammate and his talent puts him at A-1 on the roster, his countenance seems more Joe Mauer-esque in the sense of being more quiet and laid-back. Bell’s transience on this roster probably prevents too many proclamations from him as well.
There are of course many different ways to lead—and some guys likely need more leadership than others. Off the top of my head, I’d posit that the likes of Kody Clemens (thanks to a famous MLB Papa) & Brooks Lee (son of a notable college coach) need less hands-on role models than the average major leaguer.
But what about Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, Luke Keaschall, Austin Martin, Tristan Gray, or Ryan Kreidler? I don’t know as much about their “backstories”, but perhaps a “been there, done that” MLB offensive player could model the consistency needed to stick in The Show?
This is to say nothing of the potential value to the “next wave”—Culpepper, Rodriguez, Jenkins, Tait, Houston, etc.—of Twins prospects who have yet to experience the daily grind of MLB.
I know this organization may have “bigger fish to fry” at the moment with some complicated trade deadline scenarios to sort through. But with one wave of prospects seemingly giving way to another, it might be time to at least begin thinking about who can provide the solid leadership to make it all gel together in the bottoms of Target Field innings.
Proof that I wasn't the only White Sox media member who made the trip to Philadelphia. Thanks to Connor McKnight for taking a moment between draft coverage. | Ryan McGuffey
There are moments in life when you have to stop and ask yourself, “How in the world did I get here?”
Walking into the Pennsylvania Convention Center last Saturday morning with an official MLB media credential hanging around my neck was one of those moments.
Four years ago, I wasn’t writing about baseball. I wasn’t interviewing players. I certainly wasn’t traveling across the country to cover one of Major League Baseball’s biggest events.
Yet there I was, representing South Side Sox at the 2026 MLB draft.
Sometimes, dreams really do come true.
When the White Sox secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft back in December, my first thought wasn’t about covering the event. I simply wanted to attend.
For the past several years, I’ve helped our South Side Sox staff prepare for the draft. I’ve spent countless hours researching prospects, helping build our draft coverage, and writing about the White Sox farm system as part of our minor league recap team. Getting the chance to see the first overall selection in person felt like something every baseball fan should experience at least once.
After all, the White Sox hadn’t held the first overall pick in nearly 50 years. The last time it happened, I was only five years old. I don’t remember the draft, and honestly, I don’t remember much about baseball at all from that age.
So why not make the trip?
Then another thought crept into my head.
What if I didn’t go as a fan?
What if I went as a member of the media?
It felt almost ridiculous to even consider. Would MLB approve someone like me? Would SB Nation even want to pursue credentials?
Still, if I’ve learned anything over the last few years, it’s that the only guaranteed “no” is the one you never ask.
So I asked Brett.
He immediately thought it was worth pursuing, and together we submitted a credential request through SB Nation. A few weeks before the draft, I received the email I’d been hoping for.
Approved.
Suddenly, this wasn’t just a vacation. This was an assignment.
Even better, my son Sage was able to come with me. That made the trip even more special.
I was excited, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous.
SoxFest back in January had been my first experience interviewing players and networking with other members of the media. That event suddenly felt very small compared to this.
This was Major League Baseball. The commissioner would be there. Front-office executives would be there. The newest generation of baseball stars would be there … or so I thought.
Preparation became everything.
Knowing that writing a polished breaking story from scratch wasn’t yet one of my strengths, I decided to do as much work as possible before leaving Illinois. Roch Cholowsky, Grady Emerson and Vahn Lackey had clearly separated themselves as the leading candidates for the White Sox’s first pick, so I spent the week researching all three.
By the time I boarded the plane, most of each story had already been written. My goal was simple: once the pick was announced, I could quickly add the unique details from the draft and publish a complete story.
It felt like the perfect plan.
Sage and I flew a red-eye to Philadelphia Thursday night, arriving early Friday morning.
I wanted an extra day to familiarize myself with the city, pick up my credentials, find the convention center, and simply get comfortable before everything started.
Mission accomplished.
Sleep, however, was in short supply Friday night. Part excitement. Part anticipation. Part anxiety.
Saturday morning finally arrived, and after making our way to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, I had one small panic trying to figure out exactly where the draft was being held.
Eventually, I found the media section and immediately spotted a familiar face.
Ryan McGuffey, senior vice president of content and co-founder of The REKAP, was sitting in the front row with an empty seat beside him.
I introduced myself, sat down, and my nerves disappeared almost instantly.
Ryan couldn’t have been more welcoming. For a while, it didn’t feel like I was attending one of baseball’s biggest events. It simply felt like two White Sox fans talking baseball.
MLB deserves credit for the presentation. The room looked fantastic. Everywhere you looked, there were draft logos, banners, digital displays, rally towels, and energetic music filling the room. It looked every bit like a major professional sporting event.
But as draft time approached, whispers began circulating throughout the media seating: Not a single player projected to go in the first 40 selections was actually there.
As the draft unfolded, commissioner Rob Manfred simply walked to the podium, announced each selection, a pre-recorded highlight package played, and then everyone moved on to the next pick.
No emotional walk across the stage.
No jersey presentation.
No hat ceremony.
No interviews with the newest members of each organization.
Nothing.
Compared to the NFL, NBA or NHL drafts, it felt surprisingly impersonal.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t just the players who were absent. Because the White Sox were playing later that afternoon and hosting their Alumni Home Run Derby in Chicago, no members of the front office were available in Philadelphia, either.
In fact, covering the biggest White Sox draft selection in decades were just three of us: Ryan McGuffey, Connor McKnight of CHSN and me.
As someone hoping to challenge myself as a reporter, that was disappointing.
There were no interviews to conduct. No behind-the-scenes conversations. No opportunity to ask questions that readers watching from home couldn’t hear for themselves.
It felt like a missed opportunity — not just for the media, but for the fans who had traveled from around the country expecting something more interactive than what amounted to a televised announcement with free T-shirts and rally towels.
But sometimes the story you expect isn’t the story you get. And maybe that’s OK.
Because when I look back on the weekend, I won’t remember what the draft lacked.
I’ll remember spending three days talking baseball and spending time with one of my favorite people in the world.
I’ll remember sitting in the media section wearing a credential that, just a few years ago, I never imagined I’d have.
I’ll remember realizing how much my life has changed since Brett asked me about writing about baseball in August 2022, with absolutely no journalism background.
That’s the real story.
Not who the White Sox drafted first overall. Not what MLB could have done better.
The real story is that a fan who simply loved baseball took a chance on herself, worked hard, found an incredible community at South Side Sox, and one day found herself covering an official Major League Baseball event.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the last four years, it’s this:
Don’t be afraid to ask.
Don’t be afraid to chase opportunities that seem out of reach.
And don’t let anyone tell you your dreams can’t come true.
Sometimes, if you’re willing to put yourself out there, they actually do.
LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 06: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies bats during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium on Monday, July 6, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Tom Wilson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Colorado Rockies are a team in the midst of a rebuild. With this in mind, the staff at Purple Row thought it would be useful to revisit the “State of the Position” series that we ran in March to see where things stand. We’ve asked authors of the spring articles to re-evaluate their earlier remarks with an eye toward the August 3 trade deadline.
What you think about the Rockies third base situation almost entirely depends on what you think of Kyle Karros.
Do you buy into his minor league performance and hot spring? Well, then maybe by next year we’ll all be saying that the Rockies have the position locked down for the foreseeable future.
Do you think the scouting reports and his month of play in the bigs last year are more indicative of the player he’ll be long term? In that case, third base (unless Ryan Ritter happens to break out) is in for a transitional period that may well last a couple full years.
With 93 games under his belt in 2026, has Karros done enough to quell that uncertainty?
Karros’ calling card offensively last season had been his plate discipline. Even when he has struggled to impact the ball, his chase% on pitches outside the zone has maintained around 24%, good for 80th percentile in the league this season. This lack of chase was on full display in March and April when Karros earned a great 16.1 walk percentage.
The discipline is also the reason Karros is able to work deep into counts. The inevitability of another Karros 3-2 count has become a running joke in game threads here at Purple Row. In terms of pitches seen per plate appearance, Karros ranks 24th in all of MLB at 4.08, which is comfortably the highest among Rockies hitters.
Solid defense
In terms of defense, Karros has continued to look like a capable defender at the hot corner. There have been some signs that he is maybe not quite as good with the glove as his limited sample in 2025 indicated — he’s earned fewer defensive runs saved and is committing errors at a higher rate than last season — but his overall defensive value is still calculated by FanGraphs to be among the top ten qualified third baseman in MLB this year.
Poor quality of contact
The league average isolated power this season is .158. Through April, Karros’ ISO was only .065, which was only marginally better than the .051 that he’d managed in 2025 after reaching the majors. Through the start of the 2026 season, this lack of being able to do damage when he made contact had been the persistent downfall of his short big league career.
The lack of quality contact was so severe that it threatened to act as an anchor to Karros’ entire offensive profile. In March and April, his overall wRC+ (a stat that weights total offensive performance with one hundred being league average) was an abysmal 63 despite his great walk percentage.
Changes at the plate have led to impressive results
At the start of the season, his stance was closed off and upright, but is now much more open and tensed. His leg kick timing mechanism has not changed much, but the starting position of the front foot has shifted dramatically further back in the box. This leads to a more crouched stance and a more explosive hip rotation as he unloads his swing.
Corresponding with these mechanical adjustments has been one specific major change in his peripherals: Hard Hit %
Karros adopted his new batting stance in mid-May, roughly when his Hard Hit % was bottoming out. Since then, it has climbed significantly above league average and has, so far, stayed there.
This sudden ability to access more of his power has not just been theoretical but has correlated with an obvious surge in his results at the plate.
March/April: .207/.330/.272 with a 63 wRC+
May: .225/.295/.380 with a 73 wRC+
June: .357/.444/.586 with a 166 wRC+
July: .289/.385/.644 with a 164 wRC+
This version of Karros looks like a genuine force to be reckoned with in a major league lineup. The question is this: Can he sustain it for more than six weeks’ worth of games?
We won’t know until the games are played, but this is a stark increase in production backed up by a noticeable change in his underlying metrics which can be explained by a visible process adjustment. Outside of a larger sample size, this is everything you would want to see to begin to believe a player had made a potentially lasting improvement.
It would be foolhardy to assume that Karros is going to be able to sustain a 160 wRC+ forever, but he never needed to be an all-star-level hitter to become a fixture in this lineup.
His established foundation of good plate discipline and defense meant that he didn’t need to improve his quality of contact that much in order to become a quality major league starter. He has now done that and shown a tantalizing glimpse of what the best-case scenario for him going forward could be.
The organizational depth beyond Karros
As with many positions in this series, the second option at third base has proven to be Willi Castro.
Even if Castro is not dealt at this year’s trade deadline, which is very possible, his time in purple is not expected to extend particularly far into the future, as his current contract expires at the end of 2027.
When Castro departs, the players in the minors that could eventually be looked at to either fill in for Karros (or replace him should he regress) would be:
Ryan Ritter: Having battled injuries, Ritter has only managed to play in 34 games at Triple-A so far this season. In his limited time on the field, he’s hit respectably and produced a 106 wRC+ for the Isotopes.
Wilder Dalis (No. 24 PuRP): The surface level production during his second run at Low-A has looked even better than his initial cup of coffee at the level late last season. His 25.6% strikeout rate remains a cautionary flag considering the level.
Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP): As a 22-year-old in High-A, Hedges’ decent but not great offensive performance this year has not been encouraging. Just like Dalis, his high strikeout rate in the low minors will need to be monitored.
Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP): In 33 games to start the season at Low-A, Holliday was starting to show signs of why he was so highly thought of prior to the 2025 draft. Like Dalis and Hedges, his strikeout rate being in the mid-to-high twenties is concerning, but everything else had been clicking for him before his season ending injury.
Kamuel Villar & Eriel Dihigo: Two recent international amateur signings for the Rockies, both Villar and Dihigo are hitting very well in their first season in the Complex League at ages 18 and 19 respectively. Neither yet has much public scouting hype but are worth keeping an eye on to see how they progress.
Other than Ritter, there aren’t really any third base prospects waiting in the wings in the high minors. It will be a couple of seasons before anyone currently expected to have a real shot at being a starting-caliber third base replacement is ready to hit the majors should Karros’ hot summer turn out to be a mirage.
Closing thoughts
Just like before the season started, the Rockies third base situation comes down to what you think about Karros. The difference now is that he has given much more reason to believe in his offensive upside.
Given his torrid pace post-swing change, Karros has solidified himself as the Rockies starting third baseman through the start of the 2027 season. Even if he were to slump for the rest of this year, the position would still be his to lose going into next spring. Beyond the start of next year, however, nothing is guaranteed. Karros will need to continue to perform to keep his spot but he would need to struggle quite a bit to lose it, given that there are not any in house options banging down the door to take it from him at the moment.
Karros has earned a leash long enough to be, at minimum, a bridge between Ryan McMahon and the next franchise third baseman for the Rockies. It has, however, become a very real possibility that he may be able to simply take up that mantle of franchise third baseman for himself.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: Heliot Ramos #17 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park on July 12, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The San Francisco Giants are back from their All-Star break tonight, as they head north for some interleague play against the Seattle Mariners.
In the meantime, let’s take a look at a video that the team’s social media team shared recently featuring outfielder Heliot Ramos. While it is essentially an ad for Peet’s Coffee, I know our audience and I know that they enjoy arguing about the finer things in life, like coffee and food. So Ramos being willing to share opinions on either was a brave choice for our community.
It’s a short watch, about six minutes, so grab your coffee, settle in and enjoy!
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants begin this three-game road series against the Mariners tonight at 7:10 p.m. PT.
The wait continues as the sports world anxiously awaits the next move for LeBron James.
James decided to not return to the Los Angeles Lakers and added his name in the free agency pool, which started a carousel of pitches from around the NBA trying to persuade James to join their organization.
A decision is expected to come, but it's not clear when. James said months ago that his decision would likely come in late-July to early-August. While we sit around in the middle of July, the countdown continues.
James reportedly has all the information he needs from teams and is now weighing his options, according to USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the storylines he'd be most interested in include James going back home to Cleveland or joining Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. But his main focus was James actually making a decision so the league can plan next season's schedule.
"Where LeBron plays will affect the schedule. So I would like him to make his announcement already, so we can finish the schedule," Silver said. "I need him to make a decision."
Well, Mr. Commissioner, you're going to be waiting on that decision just like the rest of us. According to James' timeline, the pick won't be revealed for another week or two. In the meantime, here's what we're hearing on James' latest iteration of "The Decision":
Dave McMenamin: LeBron decision could be early as 'next week'
08:03 AM ET, July 17 2026, Marcus D. Smith
Family is one of the most important aspects in LeBron James' decision. ESPN NBA reporter Dave McMenamin said James' decision is very dependent on his soon-to-be 12-year-old daughter, Zhuri.
"When it comes to his family James said he has certainly weighing the thoughts of his soon-to-be 12-year-old daughter Zhuri," McMenamin wrote on X. "He made sure to tell her before he was leaving the Lakers so she heard it from him first. And he told her that her feelings of the decision would mean a lot to him I'm told that James is nearing that decision and folks around the league are hoping it comes as early as next week."
Dave McMenamin on when Lebron could decide his next team:
"When it comes to his family James said he has certainly weighing the thoughts of his soon to be 12 year old daughter Zhuri. He made sure to tell her before he was leaving the Lakers so she heard it from him first. And he… pic.twitter.com/DoUECN2WOx
Nobody knows what LeBron James will do. Well, maybe he does. However, even if he does, don't expect an answer from James today, or even this weekend.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania alludes to James not making his free agency decision immediately. The reason for the hold up isn't widely unknown, but it's not happening today, Charania said.
"Obviously everyone's waiting on the LeBron James domino. I wouldn't hold my breath on tonight," Charania told USA TODAY Thursday, July 16 on the red carpet for the Time 100 Sports event.
"I honestly wouldn't hold my breath for the weekend either, but we'll see what happens as we get closer to next week," Charania added.
The Chicago Blackhawks have many young forwards who they will be hoping can hit a new level for them next season. Ryan Greene is among them, as the 22-year-old forward has the potential to become a big part of the Blackhawks' roster.
Greene just completed his rookie season in 2025-26 and showed good promise during it. In 81 games on the year, he posted 12 goals, 17 assists, and 29 points. Overall, it was a solid start to his NHL career, and the 2022 second-round pick will now be looking to reach new heights for the Blackhawks during the 2026-27 season.
If Greene can hit the 20-goal and 40-point marks next season, it would be good news for a Blackhawks club that is looking to take that next step and compete for a playoff spot. It would also be significant for the Blackhawks if Greene continues to take steps forward with his solid two-way play.
Ultimately, there is a lot to like about Greene's game. It is going to be interesting to see what kind of season he can put together for the Original Six club in 2026-27 from here.
Captain says promotion would bring ‘the most happiness’
He visited largest shareholder Daniel Křetínský in Prague
Jarrod Bowen has said he intends to remain with West Ham after the club’s relegation to the Championship. The forward has attracted interest from Premier League teams but has spelled out his desire to stay after a summer during which he travelled to Prague for talks with the largest shareholder, Daniel Křetínský.
“I feel like we’re moving in the right direction as a club,” Bowen told West Ham’s media channels. “There’s a lot of thinking time over the summer and a lot of things that go in your head. But I look in years and years to come of when I retire, what’s going to bring me the most happiness. For me now that’s getting this club back into the Premier League.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JULY 12: Ketel Marte #4 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts during his at bat during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on July 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Gallen, we’re continuing to evaluate,” Lovullo said. “He is waiting for other opinions from other doctors. So we’ll just keep putting that off until we get everything complete.”
Second opinions are often an inauspicious sign. That very process sometimes indicates a more serious injury can be the case, though it is certainly not a guarantee Gallen is destined for Tommy John surgery or anything similar.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are recalling first baseman Tyler Locklear from Triple-A Reno, according to azcentral’s Nick Piecoro.
Piecoro added that Locklear will be taking the roster spot previously occupied by outfielder Tommy Troy, who was placed on the 10-day injured list on Wednesday with a sprained right AC joint.
Locklear had elbow and shoulder surgeries, was forced to miss spring training while he healed and was buried on the proverbial first base depth chart behind Pavin Smith, José Fernandez, Carlos Santana, Vargas and LuJames Groover.
But now, Smith, Fernandez and Groover are in the minors, Santana is no longer on the roster and Vargas has more of a utility role. An injury to outfielder Tommy Troy that landed him on the 10-day injured list on July 15 opened the door for Locklear to be called up from Triple-A Reno, and Locklear was in Phoenix on Thursday.
At the same time, the at-bats have looked rough. After scorching-hot months of April and May, his production tailed a little in June, but he’s fallen into a .100/.250/.150 July. He’s swinging and missing at fastballs down the middle and struggling to make hard contact.
In all likelihood, Carroll will pull himself out of this slump at some point. He’s done so before and come out looking as good as he ever has. But Carroll has graduated beyond the type of player whose impact ends when he walks off the playing field.
The release of a Major League Baseball schedule rarely generates the same excitement as a blockbuster trade or a free-agent signing. Yet for the Arizona Diamondbacks, the 2027 schedule tells a much bigger story than simply who they’ll play and when.
Beginning the season with consecutive road series against National League West rivals, the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants, before returning to Chase Field for their home opener against the Miami Marlins, will surely be a tough test for the D-backs. From there, the competition only intensifies. Early meetings with divisional powers, established American League contenders, and National League playoff hopefuls create one of the season’s toughest opening stretches.
It appears the urge to turn all critical thinking over to AI has not escaped Major League Baseball teams. Regular baseball viewers have become accustomed to seeing players and staff huddled around tablets in the dugout. The expectation is that the devices are used for reviewing performance and maybe crunching last-minute stats, but apparently MLB officials have intervened to prevent teams from using the hardware for running generative AI. League officials have taken the unusual step of making a mid-season policy change to crack down on the use of custom apps that would take over “recommendations regarding substitutions, pitch calling, and other in-game decisions traditionally made by players and coaches.”
Phillies reliever Brad Keller is expected to miss the rest of this season — and possibly more — with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.
Keller was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday and said he will seek a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister, a top specialist, before making a determination about surgery.
If the right-hander requires Tommy John surgery, he likely would miss most if not all of the 2027 season as well.
Burns, 23, in his first full season with the Reds, is 11-1 with a 2.54 ERA and 118 strikeouts in 102⅔ innings. Featuring one of the best sliders in baseball and a fastball that averages 97.9 mph, the second hardest of any big league starter, Burns has emerged as a potential future Cy Young Award winner.
The deal, which buys out two of Burns’ free agent years, has no club options and runs through 2033. It is the largest ever for a pitcher who has yet to reach arbitration and the third-biggest contract in Reds history behind extensions given to Joey Votto (10 years, $225 million) and Ken Griffey Jr. (nine years, $116.5 million).
The Phillies are hosting the New York Mets on Thursday night to return from the All-Star Break, but the game had its start time changed quite late in the day in hopes of beating the worst AQI (Air Quality Index).
A scheduled 7:10 p.m. first pitch was moved up to 6:10 p.m. only a bit more than an hour before the new start time.
And as the game has gone on, visibility has gotten worse. The television broadcast has shown declining views of anything visible beyond the outfield fence into the city.
“Man, I don’t know,” said Braves first baseman Matt Olson. “I mean, I’ve seen some of the videos of it and it looks like it probably favors hitters, so sure. I’ll take anything.”
“I think so,” Reds pitcher Chase Burns said. “We’ve seen it a little bit in the minors and it’s just so hard to see with the naked eye. I think in the upcoming years we’ll be able to challenge that.”
Hell—OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO and good morning, my fellow Boston baseball fans! Isn’t it such a beautiful day? The sun is shining and the birds are singing. It’s a lovely Friday here in the hub of the universe; today would be a great day even without the headline news.
That news, of course, is that the Red Sox begin their 2026 season today! I hate to bury the lede here, but happy Opening Day everyone!!!!!! It’s the start of a new season!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, the painfully long Spring Training ramp-up session is now complete. After spending months at Fenway South in Fort Myers, you would’ve thought that the entire team had relocated there.
I’m sure you’re already well aware of all of this by now, anyways….
What? Could it be that some of you are not acquainted with the story of this season’s delay?
Well, put up an ice block and lend an ear (or, eye, I suppose).
Just to recap for the casuals who may not have been keeping up with the Sox all winter/spring/half of summer:
A bizarre scheduling hullabaloo in the offseason led to each team playing a 123-game preseason schedule before kicking off on a sprint-style regular season. I understand that the Strait of Hormuz crisis taking off right as pitchers and catchers had reported threw a monkey wrench into everything the league had in place for the 2026 season, but you’ve gotta do what you gotta do. Sometimes, the geopolitical powers that be will go ahead and deal baseball commissioners a bad hand. In turn, Rob Manfred was called upon to make some tough decisions. Thus: July 17 was declared as Opening Day across Major League Baseball. Say what you want about Manfred, but he truly had no choice in the matter. I commend him for even getting a season going in the first place.
The Red Sox had played sub-.500 ball throughout Spring Training (a bit of a misnomer at this point, but I don’t wanna split hairs now that we’re all in a good mood on this blessed day). That never stopped us from dreaming though, right? Sure, there will be questions about the offense leading into the season. The nasty injuries that Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony suffered early on in the spring will certainly not help matters. Brayan Bello struggled in his warm-up appearances; I wonder how he’ll fare now that the games actually count. Can Trevor Story pick up where he left off after a dazzling effort in 2025? Time will tell.
One thing I know for certain is that the American League is going to be mighty competitive this year. We all know what the Yankees can do, but the Blue Jays—fresh off of winning the pennant—will be looking to avenge their World Series heartbreak way back before the whole Strait of Hormuz thing. The Detroit Tigers, too! They’re a good team! My dark horse pick is the Minnesota Twins and the Seattle Mariners. They’re tied, actually, as things stand. My feeling is that the Sox are gonna have to pick up, oh I dunno, a full game on both of them by the time this short regular season is over. I’m sure Houston and Baltimore will be right on our heels as well.
Luckily for us, our team will start the year off with a massive 10-game home stand. Nothing like a little home cookin’ to get yourself off on the right foot! The Red Sox’s home field advantage should be excellent in 2026. Who knows how they’ll perform on the road, but I’m sure they’ll make Fenway a fortress in no time. Maybe not as much of a fortress as the fortress they’ve got surrounded around the ol’ S of H right now, but that’s besides the point.
The one thing that I do think is strange for this short season is how quickly the trade deadline follows Opening Day. It’s like, what, two weeks after we play ball for the first time? Let us get our feet wet, jeez louise!
But again, that’s champagne problems. All that matters is that we get to watch real live baseball in Boston that actually counts for something after months and months of meaningless slop. Let me know in the comments below how YOU’RE celebrating the start of the 2026 Red Sox season today. Here’s to us having a season to remember forever!
The AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays (56-38) open a post-All-Star break series at Fenway Park against the Boston Red Sox (46-48) with a day/night doubleheader. Winners of three of their final five games heading into the break, Tampa Bay enters the series atop the division with a three-game lead over the Yankees. The Red Sox are baseball's hottest team, riding a nine-game winning streak and posting a remarkable 14-2 record over their last 16 games.
Tampa Bay’s strength this season has been its consistency and balance. Led by Nick Martinez (8-2, 2.65 ERA) their pitching ranks sixth in the American League with an ERA of 3.80. At the plate, the Rays lead the AL with a .259 batting average. Yandy Diaz leads the American League with a .322 average. Boston’s bats have come alive over the last month after just a miserable start to the season. As surprising as their lack of success at the plate had been, their starting pitching has been even more of a surprise considering who sits on the injured list: Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck, and most recently, Connelly Early. Their team ERA is 3.59 which is second only to the Yankees in the American League.
Griffin Jax takes the ball for the Rays. He does so with a solid 3.47 ERA and has shown good strikeout ability, averaging a strikeout per inning (71 strikeouts in 70 innings). Jake Bennett will be on the bump for Boston. The rookie has allowed just three home runs this season in 47.2 innings.
Key matchup: Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda against the left-handed Bennett.
Diamond Note: Willson Contreras will serve the final game of his five-game suspension in this afternoon’s game.
Lets dive into tonight’s matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Rays vs. Red Sox
Date: Friday, July 17, 2026
Time: 1:35PM EST
Site: Fenway Park
City: Boston, MA
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, NESN, Rays.TV
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Rays vs. Red Sox
The latest odds as of Friday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Tampa Bay Rays (+104), Boston Red Sox (-126),
Spread: Rays +1.5 (-198), Red Sox -1.5 (+162)
Total: 8.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers and their Stats: Rays vs. Red Sox for July 17
Red Sox: Jake Bennett Season Totals: 47.2 IP, 4-3, 2.64 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 35K, 8 BB
Wilyer Abreu is 3-7 (.429) in his career against Griffin Jax
Jarren Duran is 1-16 over his last 5 games
Masataka Yoshida has hit safely in 7 of his last 8 games (11-26)
Ceddanne Rafaela has hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games (13-45)
Junior Caminero is hitting just 8-45 (.178) in July
Cedric Mullins is 2-31 over his last 9 games
Yandy Diaz went 0-2 in the All-Star game but is 10-26 over his last 6 regular season games
Nick Fortes is 3-4 with a pair of doubles in his career against Jake Bennett
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Rays vs. Red Sox
The Rays are 57-37 on the Run Line this season
The Red Sox are 43-51 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 42 times in Tampa’s 94 games this season (42-47-5)
The OVER has cashed 42 times in Boston’s 94 games this season (42-48-4)
Expert picks & predictions: Rays vs. Red Sox
Rotoworld Bet Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s first game between the Rays and the Red Sox:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is recommending a play on the Red Sox on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 8.0.
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Goaltending is arguably the most important position in hockey, and every successful team likely has a goaltender or two who performs well.
For the Toronto Maple Leafs, they've made some changes in the crease this off-season, across a few different transactions by GM John Chayka.
It's not just the NHL tandem that has seen a shift going into the 2026-27 season, but the team's goaltending youth and depth have seen some change as well. After these adjustments in Chayka's first summer as the Leafs' GM, where does Toronto's goalie blueprint stand against the others in the Atlantic Division?
Off-Season Subtractions And Additions
With Chayka's first trade as the GM of the Maple Leafs, he made a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. That trade saw defenseman Simon Benoit and goaltender Joseph Woll sent away in exchange for goaltender Samuel Ersson, defenseman Emil Andrae and a 2026 third-round pick.
They did get Ersson in return to fill the void of Woll, but Ersson hasn't performed well in the NHL so far, posting an .870 save percentage and a 3.12 goals-against average this past year. In the end, Ersson was traded to the Ottawa Senators for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Toronto wasn't done making moves in the crease there, as later that day, the Leafs traded Dennis Hildeby to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Hildeby, 24, was showing great promise with the Maple Leafs and with the AHL's Toronto Marlies. In 20 NHL appearances, the Swede registered a 2.86 GAA, a .914 SP, and earned his first career shutout against the Lightning in December of the past season.
Moving the young 6-foot-7 goaltender was a sacrifice to continue to improve the team's forward group, as they acquired Nick Paul from Tampa in that trade.
There are some superstar goaltenders in the Atlantic Division that the Leafs will need to face. Andrei Vasilevskiy and Jeremy Swayman of the Lightning and Boston Bruins, respectively, were finalists for the Vezina Trophy this past season, with the Bolts netminder taking home the trophy.
Nonetheless, Toronto's tandem isn't anything to be dismissive of, with a total of three Stanley Cups between Bobrovsky and Stolarz. Not to mention, Bobrovsky has two Vezina Trophies himself, and while Stolarz has an injury-plagued history, he's also shown signs of being an excellent goaltender, with the 2024-25 campaign being a prime example of that.
A few teams that the Leafs certainly have the goaltending edge over are the Senators, the Detroit Red Wings and the Buffalo Sabres.
The Senators do have a Vezina-Trophy-winning netminder in Linus Ullmark, but since he won that award in Boston, he hasn't been the same since arriving in Ottawa.
This past year was Ullmark's worst campaign yet of his NHL career. He recorded a 2.73 GAA and an .891 SP.
To Ullmark's credit, he had an excellent post-season in Ottawa's first-round matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, putting up a .932 SP and a 2.03 GAA. However, he wasn't able to earn a victory.
Now, going into the new campaign, his supporting tandem member is going to be Ersson, or Leevi Merilainen, who also struggled in 2025-26 with a .860 SP and a 3.51 GAA in 20 games.
Detroit will be rolling with John Gibson and Daniil Tarasov next season.
Gibson was a star goaltender earlier in his career, but lately he's fallen into the category of an average starter.
He's still a solid netminder, but isn't so much a game-changer for his team, putting up a .901 SP this past year. The Red Wings also show no signs of improving the roster, particularly the back end to support their goaltenders.
Tarasov spent the past year as a backup to Bobrovsky with the Panthers, earning an .895 SP. It's hard to see this tandem thrive in this division and with the roster in front of them.
For Buffalo, their goaltending has been slightly chaotic to a certain degree lately. The big name in the Sabres' crease is 27-year-old Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, who was great in the regular season with a .910 SP. However, that was only across 35 appearances.
Then, there's Alex Lyon, who played 36 games and recorded a .907 SP. And to finish the trio, Colten Ellis, who debuted in the NHL this past year, put up a .903 SP in his first 16 appearances of his NHL career.
A three-goalie tandem isn't typically the greatest method, nor do any of these three names scare an opponent on the scouting report.
Luukkonen is the best goaltender on Buffalo's list, given the fact that he has posted a pair of campaigns with a .910 SP. But he does lack the consistency of being a true star or elite No. 1 goaltender.
Moving on to the other clubs in the Atlantic, Toronto has a case to make against any goalie tandem in the division.
The next team that the Maple Leafs could hang around with in the crease is the Montreal Canadiens and their duo of Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler. Although Samuel Montembeault is on the roster, he sits behind the other two goalies on the depth chart and wasn't particularly impressive in 2025-26.
There's no doubt that Dobes had some heroic and unforgettable moments for the Habs in their most recent playoff run. But the truth is, the Czech goaltender isn't all that consistent between the pipes.
Even with him being the highlight for multiple Montreal victories in the 2026 post-season, he posted a .908 SP, with half of his appearances in the playoffs finishing under a .900 SP.
Not much can be said about Fowler, as he made his NHL debut just this past year. He performed well, posting a .908 SP in 17 NHL contests, but that's not enough to change the overall perspective on where the Canadiens' tandem stands in the Atlantic.
With the experience and proven numbers from recent seasons, Toronto's netminders can be trusted more going into 2026-27.
It's hard to compete with the Panthers in any category, but when it comes to their new-look tandem, the Maple Leafs could have the edge over them, too.
They lost Bobrovsky and replaced him with Jacob Markstrom in a trade with the New Jersey Devils. Lately, Markstrom hasn't been great as a starting goaltender, with his past four seasons finishing with a .905 SP or worse.
Indeed, Bobrovsky is at an age where a dip in performance would be expected, and that happened in 2025-26, but replacing him with Markstrom doesn't guarantee improvement in goal.
Next to Markstrom will be Akira Schmid as the backup goaltender, and he is exactly that and nothing more. Schmid played 34 games for the Vegas Golden Knights this past year and posted an .893 SP. The 26-year-old also has just 82 games played in his NHL career.
It doesn't take much of an argument to understand that the Leafs should have the edge over the Cats when it comes to goaltending.
For the final two teams remaining, Boston and Tampa Bay, it's tough to say Toronto has better goaltending than they do, simply because of the No. 1s they both possess. Swayman and Vasilevskiy are two of the best goalies in the NHL.
But where the Maple Leafs can make an argument is about the depth they have in the crease between those two franchises.
With the Bruins, behind Swayman is Michael DiPietro, with Joonas Korpisalo being shipped to the New York Rangers this summer.
It's been a long time coming for DiPietro, as a 27-year-old, and he is finally projected to have a regular NHL role next season. In four separate campaigns, he's made a total of four appearances, and only in two did he feature for the whole contest.
He's spent most of his time in the AHL, and to his credit, he has dominated at that level. This past year, he recorded a .930 SP and a 1.91 GAA in 45 contests. So his jump to the NHL is deserved, but there isn't much sample size to base how he'll perform at this next level.
Similar can be said about Tampa and Hildeby. Though Hildeby has stepped up for Toronto in the NHL before, he's in a different and unfamiliar environment, with just 26 games played at this level.
So while the Leafs don't have a Swayman or Vasilevskiy, at least, going off of how the past season went, the depth is what really gives them a boost among their divisional peers.
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Now that the NHL schedule has been released, fans can start planning which games they’d like to attend and find out when interesting foes are dropping by. Here are five occasions Montreal Canadiens’ fans should consider putting on their calendar.
Home Opener
It’s always a treat to be amongst the first 21,000 people to see the Canadiens’ new opening montage and the light effects. This year, as a bonus, fans will also get an Eastern Conference Final rematch since Rod Brind’Amour and his Carolina Hurricanes will be in town to kick off the Bell Center’s season on October 6.
The Big Return
I’ll admit it, as soon as I saw the schedule I looked for one game: Brendan Gallagher’s homecoming. Fans will have to be patient for that one. The Habs will face the Vancouver Canucks on February 1, but that will be in British Columbia. Gallagher’s new team will only come to Montreal on March 6. Fingers crossed that the veteran hasn’t been traded to a contender by then; it would be a shame if fans didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. The trade deadline is on March 8, 2027; hopefully Gallagher will be fit as a fiddle and still play for Canucks.
Un coéquipier sans pareil et notre éternel guerrier. Merci à Brendan Gallagher pour tout ce qu’il a fait pour la ville de Montréal, tant sur la glace qu’à l’extérieur, et on lui souhaite le meilleur à Vancouver ❤️
Normally around Christmas and the New Year, it’s impossible to catch a game at the Bell Centre because the Canadiens are always on the road. Not this year. Forget about Disney on Ice; this time around, the Habs will be hosting the Toronto Maple Leafs on Boxing Day and the Dallas Stars on December 27- talk about a great present idea.
Ringing In The New Year
In recent years, the Canadiens have played on New Year's Eve either at 5:00 PM or 7:00 PM; this year, you won’t have to fight with your family for the remote if they want to watch the end-of-year TV specials. The Habs will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning at 2:00 PM on December 31st in Florida.
The Final Countdown
If there’s a tight race to the finish, whether it’s for the playoffs or for the right spot in the standings, the end of the season could be very exciting for the Canadiens, who will play their last three games against divisional rivals and on the road. They’ll take on the Florida Panthers on April 6, the Lightning on April 8, and the Ottawa Senators on April 10.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 09: Head coach Corliss Williamson of the San Antonio Spurs gestures in the first half of a 2026 NBA Summer League game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 09, 2026 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. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Corliss Williamson has been impressive during his time as head coach of the Spurs Summer League squad. He’s shown how he works with players as well as his ability to develop young talent. It’s a reminder that Summer League isn’t just about the players. The officiating staff are looking for positions in the upcoming year. The announcers are hoping to get noticed for job offers. And the Summer League head coaches are being watched for available coaches spots.
Going back as far as 2013 and 2014, assistant coach Ime Udoka was at the helm of Summer League. He was with the Spurs from 2012-2019. He then spent a year in Philadelphia as an assistant coach and another in Brooklyn before landing his first NBA head coaching position in Boston in 2021. In his forst year, he coached the Celtics into the NBA Finals. He’s currently the head coach of the Houston Rockets.
Back in 2015, Becky Hammon coached the Spurs to a Summer League championship. She returned in 2016 and 2019. During her time with the Spurs, she showcased her leadership, earned herself the head coaching spot for the Las Vegas Aces, and now has lead the Aces to three WNBA Championships over the last four seasons.
In 2017 and 2018, Will Hardy coaches the Spurs for Summer League. He was with the franchise from 2015-2021 before following Ime Oduka to Boston as an assistant. The following season, Hardy became the head coach of the Utah Jazz, a role he has had for four seasons, helping the Jazz rebuild after shedding stars Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell.
In 2021 and 2022, the Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson was given the reigns for Summer League. In 2024-25, he filled in for Gregg Popovich as the Spurs head coach. He was officially named the Spurs head coach in 2025, the first new coach since 1996. In his first full season as head coach, Johnson led the Silver & Black to the NBA Finals.
While Summer League has become the place to be to witness all of the NBA’s incoming talent and the starts of tomorrow, Spurs coaches capitalize on the opportunity to show they are ready to coach at the next level.
If Corliss Williamson makes the most of this summer, he could find himself fielding offers in the future.
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PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 27: Anthony Mantha #39 of the Pittsburgh Penguins prepares to take the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 27, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
“Mantha is coming off a career season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, totaling 33 goals and 64 points in 81 games. He is due to regress from those numbers, but he should still be a productive winger for the Devils. Let’s look at what he offers and why the Devils should be a better team with him, even though regression is likely next season.” [Devils on the Rush]
“The New Jersey Devils today announced that the club has named Leo Luongo Director of Goaltending while adding Ted Donato and AJ MacLean as assistant coaches and Dan Stewart as a goaltending coach to complete Sheldon Keefe’s coaching staff.” [Devils NHL]
In a major development, the Red Wings announce Steve Yzerman is stepping down as the team’s head of Hockey Operations and becoming an advisor to Chris Ilitch.
“While there are still some interesting names out there, we’ve reached the point of the offseason where player movement slows to a crawl. Some things can still change, but a majority of teams are what they are at this point — for better or worse. That makes it a good time to check in on which teams improved (or declined) the most this summer.” [The Athletic ($)]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
