Washington Nationals vs Miami Marlins Game Thread

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 30: Fans cheer during the game between the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Saturday, May 30, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

The Nats enter June riding high with a record of 31-29. However, now is when the real test starts. June was when things really unraveled for the Nats last year. I would like to think the foundation is stronger this year, but we need to see things play out some more. This series against the Marlins is a big measuring stick.

Dylan Crews is out of the lineup for a second straight game with a sore hand. However, it sounds like he will be back in there tomorrow. It is a pretty similar lineup to yesterday. One change is that Nasim Nunez will replace Jorbit Vivas at second base. Cade Cavalli pitched more like a frontline starter in May, going deep into games consistently. He will look to keep that up tonight.

The Marlins lineup has been carried by three players. Otto Lopez, Xavier Edwards and Liam Hicks have done the heavy lifting this year. Meanwhile, players like Jakob Marsee, Kyle Stowers and Owen Caissie have been underperforming. There was a time when Sandy Alcantara was a dominant ace in this league. However, he has been more of a mid rotation innings eater since his Cy Young season. He can still be brilliant at his best though, and hopefully we don’t see that version of Sandy tonight.

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Game Info:

Stadium: Nationals Park

Time: 6:45 PM EST

TV: Nationals.TV

Radio: 106.7 The Fan

The Nats are in an unfamiliar spot. They are beginning a series where the expectation is to win and take care of business. After three straight series wins over good teams, they face a 26-34 Marlins squad. They can’t let their guard down, or else the Fish will surprise them. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!

‘Guidance Counselor’ Tortorella ‘Being Really Modest’ About Role With Golden Knights, Says McCrimmon

In a league where only the strong survive, the Vegas Golden Knights have earned the reputation of being a team willing to become stronger by any means necessary. They aren’t shy about adding to their team, whether by means of signing a prize free agent like Alex Pietrangelo or taking a swing at a top trade target as they did with Mitch Marner and Mark Stone.

“We have made a lot of big decisions over our time in the league, and very bold,” Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon acknowledged during his Stanley Cup Final media availability. “I always say, to be big or bold is one thing, but you’ve got to make good decisions. And I think that we’ve collectively, through our hockey ops, done a good job of that.”

This year, the Golden Knights’ bold decisions reached a new peak when they relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties as head coach with just eight games remaining in the regular season. Kelly McCrimmon brought in John Tortorella to fill that void– a man he’d never even spoken to prior to the coaching change.

The gamble clearly paid off, as the Golden Knights went 7-0-1 down the stretch in the regular season to win their fifth Division Title in nine years. In the postseason, they beat the Utah Mammoth, the Anaheim Ducks, and the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche to advance to the Stanley Cup Final in just 16 games. 

But despite the optics, Tortorella claims that he had very little to do with the team’s success. He’s repeatedly referred to himself as a ‘guidance counselor,’ stating that he does little more than nudge the team back onto the path when they’ve lost their way.

“This team knows how to play,” he said during his media availability on Monday. “It’s them. It’s not me or the coaching staff; it’s them.

“They handle themselves so well,” continued Tortorella. “That room self-sustains. That’s why they’re in the finals again this year, and that’s why they won it in 23, and that’s why they’ve been so successful. It’s not coaches being in there. 
It’s a room self-sustaining, and we’ve got good people doing that.”

Kelly McCrimmon seems to feel differently.

“He’s being really modest,” McCrimmon refuted. “He’s been a really successful coach in the NHL for a long time… I think he’s done a great job of coming in, reading the room, knowing what the team needs, and coaching from that perspective.”

Game Thread #57: Milwaukee Brewers (35-21) vs. San Francisco Giants (23-36)

Milwaukee Brewers
May 22, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Shane Drohan (55) delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants are getting set to kick off a four-game series at American Family Field. It’ll be a reunion with several former Brewers players who are on the Giants, including Willy Adames, Eric Haase, and Adrian Houser.

Prior to the game, manager Pat Murphy provided some updates on injured Brewers and the plans for this series. Currently, the Brewers have Wednesday and Thursday marked with TBA as the starters. When going over possibilities, Murphy said Chad Patrick, Brandon Sproat, and Coleman Crow are all possibilities, but that Brandon Woodruff was not. Woodruff played catch today and is scheduled for a “3-up” live BP session on Wednesday and then there’s another step after that before he could return to the rotation.

Also Logan Henderson’s back is progressing “very well” and he should be playing catch to start his return soon. In other good news, Jacob Misiorowski is taking home the NL Player of the Week award for last week following his most recent dominant outings.

For the game today, Shane Drohan is getting the start for the Brewers. It’s just his second start of the season with the other being his MLB debut. Since then Drohan has pitched in a bulk role out of the bullpen and has done incredibly well with a 2.63 ERA on the year, helping him earn this start tonight.

On the other side, the Giants will be countering with right-hander Landen Roupp, who has a 3.30 ERA on the season. The 27-year-old righty has been a regular in the Giants rotation and is having a breakout season in his third year in the bigs.

The Giants will keep four lefties in their lineup against the left-handed Drohan. Rafael Devers, Luis Arraez, and Jung-Hoo Lee will surround the right-handed hitting Willy Adames in the heart of their order. The Giants will also have their top prospect, the giant Bryce Eldridge batting seventh. Eldridge stands 6-foot-7 with plenty of pop in a dangerous bat.

The Brewers lineup has Christian Yelich leading off again, followed by Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras. Luis Rengifo will man third base and David Hamilton will have shortstop to round out the bottom of the order.

First pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Brewers.TV and nationally as FS1, as well as the Brewers Radio Network.

Ask Pinstripe Alley: Yankees mailbag questions request

Ask Pinstripe Alley

We’re entering June, and the Yankees are slightly behind in the division as we pull past the one-third mark of the season. The Rays have proven relentless, and look to contend with New York as they’ve taken a 1.5 game lead heading into the month with an 18-9 run in May. The rest of the division still is stuck in the doldrums, but they can’t be discounted as the Wild Card picture is wide enough that it has them firmly in playoff contention. This month will prove essential to shaking up the leaderboards, and with only two divisional matchups ahead of the Yankees they’ll get to face off with different competition mainly from the AL Central — a familiar stomping ground.

Outside of the unknown timetable for Max Fried, the Yankees are near full-strength and in position to make things happen if they can get the bats going. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham showed major turnarounds, and Anthony Volpe hasn’t been too shabby in his return from the minors as well, but with Aaron Judge not firing on all cylinders it’d sure help if the bottom of the lineup could become a bit more respectable. Will Austin Wells finally get a foothold in the batter’s box, and can Ryan McMahon trend be the next bat to trend back to average? Will the Captain go on a tear to silence the critics, or will this slump turn out to be something more worrisome? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.

Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of June 4th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.

Are the Houston Astros Trending in the RIGHT DIRECTION?

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 22: Spencer Arrighetti #41 of the Houston Astros pitches in a game against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on May 22, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Always look on the bright side of LIFE!

While the Astros are in the throws of another slow start, despite some recent success there aren’t many Astros fans who see any trends going in the right direction. The Clubhouse would tell you a different. Here are a few of those bright spots:

  1. We recently heard Spencer Arrighetti speak up and say that there was no quit in the clubhouse.

“I know it sounds dumb to say where we were sitting right now,” Arrighetti said, “but this is a really special group, and I really believe in every single player that’s in this locker room right now, and I think we need to take it a little more personally.

“I’m sure there’s stuff being said right now that makes it seem bleak. I don’t think it feels that way in here.”

Quote taken from Chandler Rome, The Athletic from his article written on May 29, 2026.

Spencer Arrighetti is a BIG part of the Houston Astros staff in 2026, and in the absence of Hunter Brown due to his IL stint, Arrighetti has taken the bull by the horns. You need young players to step up, especially when it’s your veterans who have been injured, or not been performing up to par.

Overall his numbers are impressive despite being considered the luckiest pitcher in 2026, sometimes its better to be lucky than good? I know even Spencer knows where he stands and the kid will, in my eyes see where the league is looking to exploit him, so he can continue his success.

2nd Bright Spot: Yordan Alvarez

Despite not having the eye popping numbers he did in the previous month he is still the only hitter to have an OPS over 1.000, tied for 2nd (at the time of this article) in Home Runs in the AL, leads in many key offensive categories, and allows other hitters in the lineup to get better pitches through out the game. Not to mention how well he does when he faces a pitcher for the 2nd time.

Numbers calculated May 28, 2026 by Locked on Astros.

3rd Bright Spot: The Astros are playing better baseball as the season progresses.

The Houston Astros record by month:

March 4-2

April 8-18

May 15-14

You may not think much about a club that is one game over .500 in a month, and probably should have at least 5 more wins in the W column. The fact that they did this, with players being out, getting players off the IL, as well back up players becoming starters, and the pitching starting to turn things around. I would say the trend is welcomed in Astros nation.

A second part to the 3rd Bright Spot is the runs given up has gone down. This is one of those good news/bad news kind of bits, just hear me out. April their totals were 129 Runs Scored and 166 Runs against, moving into May the run production slowed down, where they only had 103 runs scored, but also only gave up 110 runs against. I see this as a very positive thing, also recently the runs have started to tick up.

The fact that baseball is a 162 game season, where our favorite team is entrenched in a weak division as well sub .500 league in the A.L. should give some hope to the Astros fanbase. I would say that it does still seem very bleak when it comes to chances at a playoff run or even a deep playoff run, but we are only this far into the season, 61 games completed. with 101 games left.

Why all the fuss? Always Positive, Always Stros guy?

Well I have been with this team since I was 2 years old, no I wasn’t checking box scores then, but I have seen far more losing seasons than I have seen winning. I do believe that a healthy lineup, with a healthy starting rotation and back end bullpen, can yield solid results. I am not calling the Mayor for a parade route, I am also not willing to say they are 100% not going to make the playoffs. Here is what I am saying.

1. You’re getting Josh Hader and Hunter Brown back real soon. That is improvement.
2. You have Yordan Alvarez, Christian Walker and Jeremy Pena to anchor this offense.
3. Jose Altuve I believe will come back motivated to hit the ball, he’s inching closer to 3,000 and we all know he wants that.
4. Spencer Arrighetti, Tatsuya Imai, Kai Wei Teng, Peter Lambert and Co. are looking to continiue their improving performances on the mound.

Now with this being said, there are many things that HAVE to go right. I understand that, but to sit here and say there is no way, shows that maybe you haven’t observed enough up and down Astros baseball. So this is what I ask of you. Sit back, enjoy the wins when they come. Don’t focus on the standings, and hope that the team can find a month like June where they can capitalize on their opponents. In June the Astros face the: Pirates, Athletics, Angels, Royals, Tigers Guardians, Blue Jays, Tigers again, then the Twins.

What do you predict they will do in June. I if I am going to take the optimist and say they go 16-8, The realist approach would be more like 13-11, So tell me what will their June record be?

Carter Hart says he has learned and grown since joining the Golden Knights after acquittal

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Speaking on the eve of the Stanley Cup Final, goaltender Carter Hart said Monday he has learned and grown a lot since signing with the Vegas Golden Knights after he and four other players were reinstated by the NHL following their acquittals in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case.

Hart is in the spotlight now in large part because he is the only one of the five players to sign a contract in the league. He addressed the situation after joining the Golden Knights in October but has spoken only about hockey since.

He was asked on Cup Final media day about comments he made in the fall and how he has learned and grown since then.

“I’ve been able to meet a lot of good people in the community,” Hart said. "I think the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation has done a really good job of making it easy for me to integrate into the community and meet a lot of cool people. Just really fortunate to be here in Vegas. It’s a great culture of people. Like I said, I’ve met a lot of cool people and just very fortunate to be here in Las Vegas and with this group.”

Hart's session was ended after his answer. General manager Kelly McCrimmon, who chose to sign Hart to a two-year, $4 million contract, was asked about the thought process and took issue with the notion that the 27-year-old goalie came with baggage.

“We went through a lengthy process of due diligence with Carter,” McCrimmon said. “Carter is a really good person. He’s ingrained himself in our community. He’s a player that I’ve known a long time, long prior to him becoming an NHL player. Playing very well. Obviously a big part of how our team is at this point that we’re at today, and he’s fit in seamlessly with his teammates.”

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Marv Albert turned down NBA on NBC offer this season because of ‘voice issues’

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Television personality Marv Albert looks on during a Premier Boxing Champions bout, Image 2 shows Marv Albert calling the Knicks game on the radio with a colleague, Image 3 shows NBA on NBC

One of the sport’s great play-by-play men had to turn down the chance to once again call an NBA game for NBC.

Legendary Knicks announcer Marv Albert, 84, stayed away from the mic even though NBC was interested in bringing him back for a night, as it has often leaned into the nostalgia for the return of NBA games to the network this season. He was offered to call a regular-season game between the 76ers and Spurs,

“It’s funny because NBC had myself and Bob Costas do the opens at the start of the season. And then they wanted me to do a game. I couldn’t do it,” Albert told Sports Illustrated. “I’ve had some voice issues. So, I couldn’t do it, but it would have been nice to do.”

Marv Albert calling a Knicks game on the radio in 1999 New York Post

Albert has still followed the season closely, including the Knicks’ run to their first NBA Finals since 1999, where they will get a rematch with the Spurs.  

He was around Knicks basketball on the mic for many of their important moments. Albert was on the radio call for the 1970 and 1973 championship teams and was the play-by-play man for the 1994 NBA Finals for NBC, which the Knicks lost in seven games to the Rockets.

Marv Albert at a boxing event Getty Images

Albert believes that if the Knicks win the championships, the celebration in New York City will be incredible.

“It’ll be over the top,” Albert said. “I remember in ’70, they had a celebration at Gracie Mansion. I remember it was a huge crowd. There were a lot of people who showed up. It was huge. If they win this time around, it’s gonna be off the charts. It’ll be crazy.” 

Albert has been around the Knicks since 1963. After graduating from Syracuse University, he called his first game on the radio while his mentor, Marty Glickman, was away in Europe. He became a full-time broadcaster in 1967 and held that position for 37 years before being let go in 2004. 

Albert spent 22 years working for NBA over two stints from 1977-1997 and 1999-2002. He also worked for TNT, and the Brooklyn Nets on YES. In 2014, he was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame. 

Giants bring up Wilkin Ramos and Buddy Kennedy, option Jesús Rodríguez

Side view of Wilkin Ramos throwing a pitch for Sacramento.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 22: Wilkin Ramos #15 of the Sacramento River Cats pitches against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning of an exhibition game at Sutter Health Park on March 22, 2026 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images

We knew the San Francisco Giants would have to make a move today, after right-handed pitcher Joel Peguero injured his hamstring during an otherwise perfect baseball game on Sunday. But the Giants have decided to take it a step further, with a flurry of moves, as they seem firmly in their button-mashing phase.

Ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Giants announced that right-handed reliever Wilkin Ramos and corner infielder Buddy Kennedy had been brought up from AAA Sacramento, while catcher/outfielder Jesús Rodríguez — a day after a pinch-hit home run off a position player — had been optioned back to AAA.

Neither Ramos nor Kennedy was on the 40-man roster. The Giants cleared one spot on the 40 by placing Peguero on the 60-Day Injured List, while the other spot was opened by designating AAA catcher Logan Porter for assignment. The team announced the moves on social media.

The Giants signed Ramos, who is 25, to a Minor League deal early in the offseason. He impressed in Spring Training, though he was never really in contention to earn a role out of camp. But he’s excelled in AAA this year, posting a 2.00 ERA and a 3.99 FIP, with 27 strikeouts and just seven walks in 27 innings. He has a large amount of funk, and is an extreme ground ball pitcher, with a 61.4 ground ball rate this year. For his career, he has always kept the ball on the ground, and has excelled at not allowing home runs … since the start of 2023, he’s allowed just four home runs in 200.1 innings. This is his first time making the Major Leagues.

As for Kennedy, he has a fair amount of MLB experience, having appeared in each of the last four MLB seasons (2022 and 2023 with the Arizona Diamondbacks; 2024 with the Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies; and 2025 with the Phillies and, hilariously, both the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

A 27-year old who signed a Minor League deal with the Giants this offseason, Kennedy has struggled mightily in the Majors, hitting just .178/.271/.274 in 181 plate appearances. But he has had a phenomenal year in Sacramento, slashing .321/.424/.543 with eight home runs and just a 12.4% strikeout rate. He has spent the bulk of the year at third base, where he plays good defense, and has seen some time at first as well. He’s played a lot of second base earlier in his career, with a little time at shortstop and in the outfield as well.

More moves, and more buttons being pressed. We’ll see how well they work.

The Detroit Pistons have a three-point shooting problem

Can someone please shoot the ball?
May 9, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Duncan Robinson (55) reacts after a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half of game three in the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

There’s beauty in the Pistons being a physical, gritty team in a city like Detroit, and I certainly have bias towards the modern game, but Trajan Langdon and JB Bickerstaff both have to create more opportunities for the long ball this summer.

The Concept of Spacing

To me, spacing is an unselfish act on the basketball court. It’s an attempt to keep distance from the ball or teammates in order to give them the best chance at creating a scoring opportunity. It can pull the help defender far enough away to create a driving lane for your teammate, or it can create an open catch-and-shoot look if the help defender drops into the paint – it’s a win-win situation.

It’s what makes a drive-and-kick offense look so pretty. Last night, Stephon Castle passed Alex Caruso on his way to the rim and drew the help of Chet Holmgren. He kicked it to Keldon Johnson in the corner who found De’Aaron Fox for the open three while the Thunder defense was left scrambling. That’s pretty spacing.

Players who know the value of spacing know the value of three-point shooting. It takes a confident player to prioritize scoring from behind the arc – see 2025 Malik Beasley. Detroit’s young core enjoys scoring at the rim (or has yet to develop a jump shot) and they need complementary players that want to create room for them. Look at the spacing Jared McCain provided on this made three last night:

He might’ve had a cut to the rim for a layup attempt, but McCain instead sticks to what he does best and knocks down an open corner three. He basically has his hands up and ready to shoot from the time he crosses halfcourt. Detroit needs more guys like this – guys that want to take the majority of their shots from deep.

Detroit’s Spacing

With two non-shooters in the starting lineup, Detroit doesn’t have the type of spacing that San Antonio or Oklahoma City does. The Pistons were one of the best teams at scoring inside this season, but they need to find a better balance on the court.

The paint was packed during the postseason. Against Cleveland, one of Cade’s many turnovers came on a possession where he didn’t have a shooter in the corner. With both Ausar and Duren collapsing for an offensive rebound chance, Cunningham didn’t have someone to kick it out to. Compare this to the Spurs clip above where they had a shooter in the corner.

Here’s another Cade TO and one that I wouldn’t put the blame on him. Caris LeVert walks from the corner to block to set an off-ball screen on his own man (?) and it just ends up putting an extra defender right in Cunningham’s way. LeVert had no understanding of spacing as he actively hurt the offense on this possession.

This last one humored me. Ron Holland puts his hands out towards Daniss Jenkins and Tobias Harris to ensured they’re spaced out, but things get cramped quick as Cade misses Ron on the 45 cut.

The Lack of Shooters

You can’t knock a player for playing towards his strengths. You can’t knock a coach for putting a player in a position to play towards his strengths. If you’re confident in scoring inside, you’re going to try to get to the rim – as you should!

However, this summer, Trajan Langdon needs to find guys that are confident in letting it fly.

The shot diet of the Pistons needs to have more balance. Detroit was 29/30 in three-point attempts in the regular season and 14/16 throughout the playoffs. They were 5/16 in percentage, however, and that felt like a surprise to me given their spacing struggles in the postseason. Halfcourt offense can become predictable when a shot from outside isn’t feared.

I looked at the top-10 guys in the rotation to see where they were getting majority of their attempts from. I wanted to know what percentage of their shots were two-pointers vs what percentage were three-pointers. To me, it helps give an idea on where a player prioritizes scoring on the court. Here’s what I found:

PlayerMinutes Per Game%FGA 2PT%FGA 3PT
Cade Cunningham34.969.2%30.8%
Jalen Duren28.2100.0%0.0%
Tobias Harris27.766.2%33.8%
Duncan Robinson27.423.2%76.8%
Ausar Thompson26.095.8%4.2%
Isaiah Stewart22.770.1%29.9%
Daniss Jenkins20.265.7%34.3%
Ron Holland19.963.6%36.4%
Caris LeVert19.254.0%46.0%
Javonte Green17.640.3%59.7%

Only Duncan Robinson and Javonte Green attempted more threes than twos among guys in their main rotation. With Green being Detroit’s 10th-man, Robinson was the only real floor spacer and he was brought off the bench for the final two games. This can’t be the case next year.

This is also why Tobias Harris needs to move to a bench role as Detroit looks to move forward with their core of Cunningham, Thompson, and Duren. While they don’t need someone who shoots as many threes as Robinson, they do need a forward who’s a scoring threat from deep. Play finishers that can knock down a three after a Cade drive-and-kick need to be a priority this summer.

Compare the roster with potential offseason targets for Detroit:

Player%FGA 2PT%FGA 3PT
Ayo Dosunmu62.1%37.9%
CJ McCollum55.9%44.1%
Coby White49.0%51.0%
Jabari Smith Jr49.9%50.1%
Jrue Holiday48.9%51.1%
Kawhi Leonard64.6%35.4%
Myles Turner40.6%59.4%
Naz Reid48.6%51.4%
Norman Powell54.2%45.8%
Rui Hachimura56.1%43.9%
Trey Murphy III46.2%53.8%

I’m all game for adding two 50/50 scorers around the young core. We’ll get into offseason target previews later, but my personal favorites would be Jrue Holiday and Naz Reid.

Get more shooting, Trajan!

Go Stones.

Five keys for the Knicks to beat the Spurs and raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 25: The New York Knicks celebrate after winning the 2026 NBA Eastern Conference Championship on May 25, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David L. Nemec/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

I still cannot believe that the following sentence is reality.

We are two days away from the New York Knicks playing in the NBA Finals.

Despite how dominant they’ve been in the postseason, the Knicks are considerable underdogs to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, but this isn’t some David vs. Goliath story despite the very clear similarities with the statures of the two stars.

There is a clear path to the Knicks pulling off the upset and ending their 53-year title drought, but there’s also a lot that can go wrong. Here are five keys to the Knicks shocking the NBA world and becoming champions:

Defend the Perimeter

The biggest thing that can swing an NBA game in 2026 is three-point shooting. It’s extremely hard to overcome any big shooting disparity from the perimeter, and no lead is safe when one team gets red hot from outside.

The Knicks learned that the hard way on New Year’s Eve, when Julian Champagnie buried 11 triples to pull the Spurs back from a 17-point deficit in a game where Wembanyama left with an injury. If you leave a shooter open, he will make you pay.

The Spurs aren’t the best shooting team, but they have the ability to get hot and come in clutch. We saw guys like Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, and Dylan Harper hit some massive shots in Game 7 to quiet a lively OKC crowd, so it wouldn’t be wise to give these guys space.

At their worst, the Knicks have overhelped and been vulnerable to the drive-and-kick. At their best, they’ve done their best to disrupt guys like Sam Merrill and Max Strus by keeping them out of true catch-and-shoot scenarios and running them off the line. With no true alpha guard in this series like Tyrese Maxey and Donovan Mitchell, it should be easier to stay disciplined on shooters.

Josh Hart’s aggressiveness

The most likely defensive scheme that Mitch Johnson will employ to begin the series on Wednesday will have unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama “guarding” Josh Hart.

This move makes sense for multiple reasons. You wouldn’t want Wembanyama forced out of the paint with the way that Karl-Anthony Towns plays, and Hart’s relative passivity when he has the ball on the perimeter allows Wemby to sag off and effectively play zone in the paint, where he can disrupt the entire Knicks’ offense. Couple that with the fact you won’t see much of the “pump fake and hard drive” when there’s a 7’5” alien protecting the rim, and it seems to work perfectly for San Antonio.

There is no other way. Hart has to be willing to shoot early and often. If he’s hesitating or misfiring, the offense will grind to a halt, and the Spurs will have their way with the Knicks. We saw what happens when Hart’s able to beat the ghost coverage in Game 2 against Cleveland. It forces the defense to respect him and opens everything up.

If he can drag Wemby out of the paint, or force a complete switch in defensive coverage, he will have done his job in the series regardless of what else he does.

Dominate the non-Wemby minutes

The Spurs have a lot of quality players, but they all revolve around Wemby. When he’s on the bench, they suffer. After all, he’s only been a negative plus-minus four times since February 1, and only three in games that he actually finished. One of those games was against the Knicks on March 1, but we can’t rely on doing that four times in a row.

Here’s how the Knicks played in Wemby and non-Wemby minutes in the three meetings this year:

Wemby on the court: +16 in 83 minutes
Wemby off the court: +18 in 61 minutes

The only one of the three meetings where Wemby won his minutes was on New Year’s Eve, and the team still trailed by double digits when he left with an injury in the fourth quarter. The lineups without him are a lot easier to score on, as, despite his best LeBron impression in Game 7, Luke Kornet is a whole tier down defensively.

One of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns will always be on the court. It’s most likely that those KAT+Bench lineups will be playing the non-Wemby minutes, so it’s all on the likes of Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet, and Deuce McBride to go to work.

These minutes will be, by far, the team’s best opportunity to continue dominating in the paint. Over their last 11 games, the Knicks are shooting a blisteringly 62% from 2.

Steal one of the first two in San Antonio

The Knicks have only played two playoff series without home-court advantage in the last 12 years. They’ve won both of them.

What was the key? They got on the offensive and stole Game 1 on the road. They outexecuted the 2023 Cavaliers and 2025 Celtics in the fourth quarter and came out victorious to set the tone. While the Cavs punched back in Game 2 in 2023, they were on the back foot from there after the Knicks dominated at MSG. Boston never recovered after choking two 20-point leads at home.

Beating the Spurs on the road isn’t easy, but it’s also not impossible. They lost games to Portland*, Minnesota, and Oklahoma City inside the Frost Bank Center, and the Knicks are 6-1 on the road in the postseason thus far and 13-3 over the last three postseasons outside of Indiana (where they’re 1-5).

*Portland won Game 2 in San Antonio after Wembanyama left with a concussion in the second quarter.

This team knows how to win on the road, and in a series where you only get to play three games at most at the World’s Most Famous Arena, you need at least one to come out on top.

Embrace adversity

By the time Game 1 starts on Wednesday night, the Knicks will have not lost a basketball game in six weeks.

April 23 against Atlanta in Game 3 of the first round was the last time the Knicks felt true adversity. Since then, they’ve won 11 consecutive games, won multiple games by TKO, and have only played in two close games. The closest thing that they’ve felt to adversity since was the 22-point deficit in Game 1 against Cleveland, but they finished the game on a 44-11 run to prevail.

Does that give the team plenty of confidence going forward? Absolutely, but the odds they can keep this ridiculous winning streak going all the way to lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy on June 10 are extremely small for multiple reasons. At some point, they will lose a game.

They let Game 2’s loss against Atlanta bleed into Game 3, which required a monumental effort to get back into it before falling short. Not all losses are created equal, but they’ll eventually have a game where not everything goes right and their opponents can properly exploit one or two weaknesses that the team will need to seriously adjust on.

Have they encountered enough adversity in this postseason, or has the smooth sailing made them vulnerable to potentially unraveling if they lose a game or two early in the series? How they respond to their first loss, whenever it occurs, will be potentially the biggest key to truly finding out just how formidable this team is.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 2 biggest trade suitors revealed with deal zone nearing

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 10: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on before a game against the Brooklyn Nets at Fiserv Forum on April 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Giannis Antetokounmpo is maybe, possibly, conceivably getting traded from the Milwaukee Bucks this summer. Bucks ownership has indicated that it will trade the 31-year-old superstar before entering the final year of his contract if he does not sign an extension this summer. There are a number of potential landing spots for Antetokounmpo, but two teams are emerging as the most aggressive suitors according to long-time NBA insider Marc Stein.

Stein reports that the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat are the two teams pushing the hardest for Antetokounmpo behind the scenes. Stein also mentioned the Orlando Magic as a potential fit after the team hired Sean Sweeney as head coach last week. Sweeney comes over from the San Antonio Spurs, but also spent time in Milwaukee, where he grew extremely close with Giannis.

The Heat and Trail Blazers both always made sense as teams that could want to swing a bold trade for Antetokounmpo. Miami has been tied to the Greek Freak for years as a preferred destination. The Heat always chase stars under Pat Riley, and at 81 years old it makes sense that he would want to try for one more big fish. The Heat can offer a package including Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis, the No. 13 overall pick in 2026 NBA Draft, a 2030 first-rounder, and a 2032 first-rounder.

The Trail Blazers made their first playoff appearance in five years this season before getting knocked out in the first-round by the Spurs. Portland has a new owner in Tom Dundon, and while his cost-cutting measures have been getting all the attention, he’s also hinted that he might be more inclined to approve big trades than the previous owners.

The Blazers are natural trade partners for Giannis because they own first-round swap rights with the Bucks in 2028 and 2030 from Milwaukee’s failed trade for Damian Lillard. It’s fair to wonder if those picks are more valuable or less valuable under the NBA’s new lottery reform, and it’s worth noting that we could have a completely different system by 2030. Portland’s package could start with returning the pick swaps, adding Jerami Grant for matching salary, then sending a talented young player like Scoot Henderson or Shaedon Sharpe in the deal. Since Grant is widely considered a bad contract at this point with two years, $70.6 remaining on his deal, the Blazers also might need to add their unprotected 2032 first-round pick.

Will the Thunder get involved for Giannis after their Western Conference Finals flameout? Probably not. Sam Presti usually takes the longview, and his team wasn’t at full strength this year without injured stars Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell for most of the series. The Thunder need to cut money for next season, not add an older player on a max contract.

I wouldn’t be shocked if this ends with Antetokounmpo accepting a max extension to end the trade speculation once and for all. It just feels more likely that he finally gets traded given how far away the Bucks are from contention.

Stein reports that an Antetokounmpo trade could happen within the next three weeks. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst once termed that “the deal zone.” It sure seems like the deal zone for a Giannis trade has fully arrived. Stay tuned.

Canseco, Pods, Palka and friends: The White Sox Alumni Home Run Derby is delightfully unhinged

MLB: ALDS-Houston Astros at Chicago White Sox
Not exactly the first name that comes to mind for a Home Run Derby, which is precisely why Leury García belongs in it. | (Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports)

The White Sox revealed the lineup for their Postgame Alumni Home Run Derby, set to follow the July 11 contest with the A’s at Rate Field. Six familiar names, all ready to take their hacks.

The group features a grab bag of franchise favorites and power hitters from across several eras of White Sox baseball: José Canseco, Gordon Beckham, Leury García, Daniel Palka, Scott Podsednik, and Alexei Ramírez. First pitch at 1:10 CST, then the derby kicks off about half an hour after the last out.

Canseco headlines the group with perhaps the most accomplished power résumé (and most chemical assistance, although Alexei would like a word). The 1988 AL MVP, six-time All-Star, 462 career bombs, four Silver Sluggers, and half of the Bash Brothers with Mark McGwire. His last big league homer? Of course, it came in a Sox jersey.

The rest? Maybe not classic sluggers, but each has a moment burned into Sox fans’ memories. Podsednik’s walk-off in the ’05 World Series, García’s “Leury Legend” three-run rocket in the 2021 ALDS, and Ramírez’s rookie grand slam binge in 2008 — four of them, including the one that set up the Blackout Game. It’s certainly an interesting supporting cast.

Beckham still gets love for both his days on the field and his current gig in the booth.

And Palka? Well, he did drop 27 bombs as a rookie in 2018 and rose to instant cult hero status as one of the bright spots in a sea of rebuilding blues.

The derby will feature three rounds with simple rules: ten outs or three minutes to mash as many as you can in the opening round. The top four move on, then it’s down to two for the crown. If a slugger hits a special Blue Moon Orange Baseball? Those count double. If there’s a tie, the fans get the final say with a vote.

Before all that, there’s a Draft Viewing Party where fans get to watch the Sox make the first pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, right on the centerfield board. Draft, game, derby, all jammed into one afternoon. Oh, and fans get 20% off all concessions until 1 p.m. July 11 is shaping up as a full-on Sox-palooza: past, present, and whatever the future brings.

Marcus Camby tells The Post why the Knicks ‘have a real good shot’ at winning the NBA Finals – in rematch 27 years later

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Knicks player Marcus Camby talking with coach Jeff Van Gundy, Image 2 shows Marcus Camby shooting a free throw for the New York Knicks, Image 3 shows Knicks players Marcus Camby and J.R. Smith high-five during a basketball game

Marcus Camby, who controlled the Garden paint for the Knicks in their last Finals appearance in 1999, posts up for some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.

Q: What message would you want to give to these Knicks?

A: I would tell the Knicks right now to enjoy the moment, play for your brothers, and leave everything out there on the basketball court because it’s not promised that we will get to this position again.

Q: Why do you believe the Knicks can win the championship?

A: I just think they’re playing their best basketball right now. They’ve been scoring at a high clip, shooting the ball at a high percentage, everything just seems to be clicking right now. … I think if guys can stay healthy during this Finals run, I think we’ll have a real good shot at bringing the title home to New York.

Q: What problems do the Spurs and Wemby present?

A: Wemby’s just like a freak of nature, a guy being 7-[foot]-4, 7-5, the ballhandling ability, the Steph Curry range, and just being a big, physical presence down there in the paint. You get to see when opponents go into the lane they’re constantly looking for him and he’ll be just blocking shots. He does a good job of altering a shot because the opposition has to shoot the shot so high. So he’s definitely a force to mess with.

Q: What makes Jalen Brunson great?

A: He’s been around pro athletes his whole life with his dad (Rick), a former teammate of mine, and a great coach, and he’s just been well-schooled from when he was a young guy. … What makes Jalen unique is for a guy his size, he can pretty much do it all. He can shoot it, he can drive it to the basket, he has a great, great low-post game for a guy his size and the body that he has, and he’s left-handed. I think that gives him an advantage as well. So he’s very awkward on offense and he’s able to get to a spot anytime he wants to on the basketball court.

Q: Give me an anecdote about his father.

Marcus Camby (left), sitting on the Knicks bench next to Rick Brunson during Game 2 of the 1999 NBA Finals. New York Post

A: We didn’t like each other at first because of the UMass-Temple rivalries we used to have back in college, I know everyone’s seen the video of [then-Temple coach John] Chaney going at [then-UMass] Coach [John] Calipari in a press conference, so we have a lot of history. Then we came together in New York, we pretty much just clicked. We were familiar with each other and that just increased our brotherhood once we got to be teammates, especially that run that we had in ’99 we went to the Finals, so that was a magical run that we had. … A 50-game season, back-to-back-to-back games, it was a grueling, tough season, so we bonded over that a lot. He’s a guy who’s a student of the game, he’s learned a lot from Coach John Chaney during his time there at Temple, and I think Rick is gonna be a great, great head coach someday in this league.

Q: Karl-Anthony Towns?

A: KAT is one of the prototype bigs that we have in the NBA right now. He’s an inside-outside guy, outside-inside guy, he can step out to the Steph Curry range and knock down 3s, he’s been really aggressive giving us that presence down low that we need. He’s a hybrid. I have a very high appreciation for his game.

Q: He became the hub for the offense.

A: It just expanded his game.

Q: OG Anunoby?

A: OG is one of the brightest two-way players that we have in this league. He doesn’t really say too much, doesn’t speak a lot, but his game speaks big. We’re gonna need OG to be playing at a high level.

Q: Why is Josh Hart such a fan favorite?

A: By his last name — he plays with a lot of heart. He’s the guy who goes out there and does all the dirty work that goes unnoticed that every night doesn’t show up in the stat sheet. He’s really truly the heart and soul of the team.

Q: Can you help Mitchell Robinson with his free-throw shooting?

Marcus Camby at the free throw line as a member of the Knicks in 2001. New York Post

A: I can’t do anything for him (laugh). I wasn’t a great free-throw shooter myself, so I’m not one to talk. Once he gets his confidence and gets into a rhythm, I think he’s gonna knock down some shots.

Q: The bench?

A: Landry [Shamet] has been coming in, knocking down key 3s, provides a spark, energy that we need.

Q: What has impressed you most about the job that Mike Brown has done?

A: Mike Brown has been great all season long. It’s tough to come here in New York and have success. Early in the season, halfway through the season, everyone was probably questioning if he was the right guy to get things done for us. He’s bringing that championship DNA from the Warriors and all the great players that he’s coached, and he’s put these guys in the position to win basketball games, so I think a lot of credit has to go to Coach Brown.

Q: Your 1999 Finals runners-up team?

A: We didn’t bring the championship, and definitely we didn’t have Patrick Ewing to give us some help down there with [David] Robinson and [Tim] Duncan. Us having to be the 8 seed just to get into the playoffs and make that run that we had, I think that was the most fun year that I probably had in my NBA career.

Q: If Patrick had been healthy, do you play the What-If game?

A: (Laugh) I’ve been doing that for 25, 26 years. It just sucked that he got hurt and we had to go out there without our leader.

Q: Latrell Sprewell?

A: Spree was great … just coming off the off-the-court stuff that had went on before him coming to New York and getting a breath of fresh air and rejuvenating his career. He brought so much intensity … Spree came off the bench when he first came to New York, then eventually he became a starter and one of our go-to guys out there and to see how he revitalized his career in New York and the great things he ended up doing for the organization, I’m definitely, definitely proud of him and definitely happy to call him my brother.

Q: Playing with LJ (Larry Johnson)?

Larry Johnson and Marcus Camby celebrate after Johnson hit a 3-point shot. New York Post

A: Playing with LJ I want to say was like a lifelong dream because I grew up watching UNLV basketball. Me being on the East Coast I used to stay up late hours, like 11:30 and 12 to catch those UNLV games … watching him and watching Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony and those guys. I always tell people he has been my favorite teammate to ever play with, just the way the guys gravitate to him, the information that he gives, the work ethic that he exudes every day. He was somebody who I really looked up to.

Q: LJ’s four-point play?

A: LJ’s four-point play was probably the most iconic play that I’ve seen in the Garden itself. Just to see, like, the video from afar when he hits the shot and the Garden just erupting … it’s kinda like nostalgia, it gives me chills just thinking about it.

Q: Where were you when he hit that shot?

A: I was on the bench. We thought Indiana had us that day and LJ came up with a big play and he knocked down the free throw, which was key, and that momentum that we had after that shot propelled us to go on to the Finals.

Q: Have you ever heard the Garden louder?

A: Ne-ver. Ne-ver. That place was like Ohmigod, I thought the roof was about to come down, it was so much excitement, so much joy in the Garden.

Q: Playing with Allan Houston?

A: We used to call him Easy because he was just so smooth and effortless, he had the prettiest jump shot, I think I felt, that was in the NBA at that time. He was just a quiet, nonchalant leader out there on the basketball court. He’s probably one of the best shooters that I ever played with.

Q: Jeff Van Gundy?

Marcus Camby talking with coach Jeff Van Gundy. New York Post

A: The Jeff over the years that we saw on TV and the Jeff that was a coach, it’s like night and day (laugh). We got to see his personality a lot with him being an announcer, being on TV, but when he was a coach, he was tough. He demanded a lot from us but what I respect the most about him was how he prepared. This guy was always watching film, he was always in the gym, he took his job very, very seriously. He was probably the one coach that I had throughout my whole life outside of Coach Calipari who I felt that I learned the most from. I learned about preparation, I learned about being on time, I learned about being accountable … I learned a lot of things from Jeff Van Gundy, he was a very underrated coach and hopefully he gets a shot again in this league at some point.

Q: Your fight with Danny Ferry when you accidentally headbutted Van Gundy?

A: (Laugh) He caught me with a shot, and I saw the blood, and when you see blood you pretty much turn red and pretty much I acted out of character, per se, of how I am now. I lost my composure at the wrong time. Definitely something I regret ’cause there were so many kids and so many people watching during that game, but that’s definitely something I wish I could have taken back. But it happened, and I have to live with it.

Q: You headbutted Van Gundy.

A: Yeah, he was in the wrong place at the wrong time (laugh). I felt bad because for the next couple of weeks he had to wear like a big Band-Aid on his eye that I had to see every day that reminded me of the incident. I definitely apologized to him, of course.

Q: Your reaction when you were traded to the Knicks (for Charles Oakley)?

A: I was excited. I’m from Connecticut, so I’m right there and I knew about the Knicks lore and the legacy and the organization growing up. Me being in Toronto during that time … everyone knows that that’s a hockey country and it took ’em a while to gravitate to the game of basketball, per se, and we weren’t really that good. But to be traded from Toronto to New York was like night and day. I had a chance to be around a first-class organization surrounded by great, talented players, future Hall of Famers.

Q: How about when you were traded away from the Knicks?

A: Man, I didn’t want to leave. No NBA player wants to get traded or have to [uproot] their family and kids switching schools and everything that comes with being an NBA player. It was tough, but I got traded to a situation in Denver where we had a chance to draft a young kid by the name of Carmelo Anthony, and that pretty much changed the trajectory of the Denver Nuggets organization. It was rough at first being away from home, not having my family there every day to see me play, but I think it worked out for myself a little bit in Denver.

Q: Returning to play your final season with the Knicks?

Knicks Marcus Camby greets J.R. Smith during the second quarter in an NBA basketball game at Madison Square Garden on March 29, 2013. Paul J. Bereswill

A: Going back to New York was almost like coming full circle, with that team that we had, surrounded by the great veterans that we had with the nucleus of players that we had with Carmelo and J.R. [Smith] and [Jason] Kidd and Tyson Chandler, Rasheed Wallace, and having a chance to come back home to New York and reunite with Kurt Thomas, a guy who I played many a years with.

Q: How would you sum up your 17-year career?

A: There were highs and lows, but me being born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut, coming up out of there, having an opportunity to go to college and get my college degree and have a chance to make it to the NBA and changing the life of my family, that’s all I can take from it despite all the individual success … the little individual success I had … from that aspect I think it was a success.

Q: Losing in the Final Four?

A: Losing in the Final Four was definitely tough. But just the journey that we had to get there, no one really expected the University of Massachusetts to be in that position. So I think we broke a lot of barriers. I think we were the first New England No. 1 team in a long time. I wish it could’ve went further, but Kentucky had a stacked team that year with like four or five NBA players on that team, and very well coached by Coach [Rick] Pitino. It was definitely sad considering that we had beaten Kentucky the first game of the season that season, but they got us when it counted.



Q: John Calipari?

A: He’s like a father figure to me. A lot of people ask me, “How often do you talk to Coach Cal?” I’m like, “Every day.” He’s a guy who’s always been in my corner. He gave me an opportunity, he taught me so much about the game of basketball, and he put me in the position to change my family’s life. We’re always gonna be locked in forever.

Q: Three dinner guests?

A: The Notorious B.I.G.; Michael Jackson: Dr. J.

Q: Favorite movie?

A: Shawshank Redemption.

Q: Favorite actor?

A: Eddie Murphy.

Q: Favorite actress?

A: Halle Berry.

Q: Favorite entertainer?

A: Jay-Z.

Q: Favorite meal?

A: Seafood … crab legs in particular.

Q: Why does the city love the New York Knicks the way it does?

A: (Laugh) I just think in New York City we have the most passionate fans in all of sports. They’re so thirsty for championships and for teams to win in the city, and especially with the Knicks.

Q: What has this ride been like for you and your fellow Knicks alums?

A: It’s great to actually be a part of it. I was around during the last time we went to the Finals and it’s kinda similar, especially with the energy in the city. The fans have been great, the videos I’ve been seeing on social media after the dubs and the watch parties have been hilarious, funny, slightly a little bit dangerous, but I like the energy … the excitement in the Garden has been electric. I’m just so happy and thankful that I can be a part of it.

Yankees vs. Red Sox returns to the Bronx–We’ve got a hack to save on tickets

SeatGeek is the official MLB Ticketing Partner of the New York Post. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change.

Aaron Judge (L) and Willson Contreras are meeting at Yankee Stadium from June 5-7.

It doesn’t matter that the New York Yankees are at the top of the AL East while the Boston Red Sox languish in the cellar.

Their historic rivalry — which technically stretches back all the way to 1903, 16 years before the infamous Babe Ruth trade — is still arguably the best in baseball.

And, this weekend, the 123-year-old grudge match will pick up for a three-game series at the Bronx’s Yankee Stadium.

The trio of high-stakes showdowns between Aaron Judge’s Bronx Bombers and Willson Contreras’ BoSox are slated to go down on:

Friday, June 57:05 p.m.

Saturday, June 67:35 p.m.

Sunday, June 71:35 p.m.

Starting pitchers have yet to be announced but it’s likely Ryan Weather, Will Warren and Cam Schlittler will pitch if all goes according to plan.

If you’d like to be there, last-minute tickets are available for all three games.

At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on seats for any one contest was $46 including fees on SeatGeek.

Should you attend a more expensive game, you’ll be treated to a Red, White and Blue Yankees T-shirt giveaway on Saturday, which is Military Night.

In the event, you’re buying pricier seats, make sure to use promo code NYPOST10 for $10 off purchases over $250 on SeatGeek at checkout (Editor’s Note: this discount is only valid for users’ first purchase on SeatGeek).

Never been to a Yankees-Red Sox game in person and don’t know what to expect?

“There’s a different air in the stadium,” New York Post Yankees fan Frank Massaro told us. “The beer tastes better. The hot dogs taste better. This is what baseball’s all about. It’s a true bucket list experience for any Yankees fan.”

With that, we’ll see you at The House That Jeter Built this weekend.

For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about the June 2026 New York Yankees vs. Red Sox home game series at Yankee Stadium below.

Yankees vs. Red Sox ticket prices 2026

A complete breakdown of all Yankees-Red Sox game dates, start times and links to the cheapest tickets available can be found here:

Yankees-Red Sox game datesTicket prices
start at
Friday, June 5
7:05 p.m.
$46(including fees)
Saturday, June 6
7:35 p.m.
$58(including fees)
Sunday, June 7
1:35 p.m.
$53(including fees)

Yankees 2026 home game tickets

At the moment, Aaron Boone’s Yankees are sitting at 36-23 just 1.5 games behind the scrappy Tampa Bay Rays in the competitive AL East.

And, while that’s certainly exciting, we’re most jazzed about all the amazing giveaways the team has planned for the rest of the year.

To make sure you’re fully up to speed on which games include special trinkets with your tickets (and Old-Timer’s Day!), here are all the remaining 2026 Yankees giveaways and special dates.

Yankees 2026 giveaways
Guardians vs. YankeesTuesday, June 2
Charles Fazzino’s America250: A New York Yankees Celebration Poster Night
Red Sox vs. YankeesSaturday, June 6
Military Appreciation Night – Red, White & Blue Yankees T-shirt
White Sox vs. YankeesThursday, June 18
Yankees Soccer Jersey Night
Guardians vs. YankeesSaturday, June 20
Aaron Judge MVP Bobblehead Day
Twins vs. YankeesFriday, July 3
Fireworks Night
Twins vs. YankeesSaturday, July 4
Yankees 4th of July Cap Day
Pirates vs. YankeesMonday, July 20
Yankees T-Shirt Night
Braves vs. YankeesSaturday, Aug. 8
Old-Timers’ Day
Blue Jays vs. YankeesFriday, Aug. 21
Cody Bellinger Bobblehead Night
Blue Jays vs. YankeesSaturday, Aug. 22
Hello Kitty Yankees Bobblehead Day
Astros vs. YankeesThursday, Aug. 27
George Costanza Calzone Bobblehead Night
Orioles vs. YankeesFriday, Sept. 25
Josh Hart Yankees Bobblehead Night
Orioles vs. YankeesSaturday, Sept. 26
CC Sabathia Night

Note: Most freebies will be given to the first 18,000 fans. There are exceptions so make sure to arrive at the ballpark early.

Prefer a home game without giveaways? You can find the Yankees’ complete 2026 schedule here.

Huge 2026 concerts

Hoping to catch a concert or three this year, too?

If the answer is a resounding yes, here are just a few you won’t want to miss these next few months.

• RUSH

• Bon Jovi

• Phish

• Gorillaz

• Wu-Tang Clan

Plus, JAŸ-Z has three concerts at Yankee Stadium from July 10-12 celebrating the anniversaries of his landmark albums “Reasonable Doubt” and “The Blueprint.”


Why you should trust ‘Post Wanted’ by the New York Post

This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.