NEW YORK — The NHL is beginning an investigation into Mike Babcock’s resignation as coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets in September 2023 before he coached a game for them, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation is being done privately. All coaching hires are subject to league approval.
The Players’ Association requested the investigation after word emerged that the Edmonton Oilers were interested in hiring Babcock. The league wanted to wait until after the Stanley Cup Final ended before delving into it, and that happened with Carolina defeating Vegas for the title.
Babcock resigned from the Blue Jackets less than three months after taking the job. At the time, Babcock’s requests for personal photos from players in an attempt to get to know them drew criticism as an invasion of privacy.
The union reviewed the situation, but the NHL dropped its planned investigation of the situation when Babcock stepped down.
Babcock, who turned 63 on April 29, has not coached a game in the league since being fired by Toronto 23 games into the 2019-20 season. He coached Detroit to the Stanley Cup in 2008, reached the final with the Red Wings in ’09 and Anaheim in ’03, and helped Canada win back-to-back Olympic gold medals in 2010 and ’14.
Once considered one of the best in the profession, former players have spoken out about Babcock’s old-school tendencies that some say can be considered bullying.
A report surfaced after the Maple Leafs fired Babcock that he had asked a player to share his ranking of teammates from hardest- to least-hardest working and then shared that with the rest of the group. Former Red Wings player Johan Franzen told a Swedish outlet that Babcock was the worst person he had ever met and said at one point he was terrified to go to the rink.
The Oilers are looking for a replacement for Kris Knoblauch after firing him following their first-round playoff exit, despite back-to-back trips to the final before that. They asked Vegas for permission to speak to recently fired coach Bruce Cassidy, but the Golden Knights rejected that request because he remains under contract through next season.
A patch on the sleeve of batter Spartanburger catcher Malcolm Moore (27) before the game with the Hub City Spartanburgers and Winston Salem Dash at Fifth Third Bank Field in Spartanburg, S.C. July 4, 2025. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Malcolm Moore, the Texas Rangers’ first round draft pick in 2024, has been promoted from high-A Hub City to AA Frisco, it was announced today.
Moore, a 22 year old catcher, had a disappointing 2025 season, as he slashed .195/.300/.276 on the year, primarily at high-A Hub City, while missing time due to a fractured thumb. He also played 17 games in the Arizona Fall League, slashing .231/.275/.328.
Moore returned to Hub City to start the 2026 season and initially got off to a slow start before heating up. He has slashed .300/.387/.542 in 217 plate appearances for Hub City this year, with 10 homers, 20 walks and 42 Ks while throwing out 33% of baserunners. He joins fellow 2024 draftees Dylan Dreiling, Rafe Perich, Keith Jones II, Dalton Pence, Eric Loomis and Joey Danielson on the Frisco roster.
The Roughriders have an 11 a.m. game today, and I would guess Moore will be in the lineup.
King has compiled a 7.64 xERA and 6.81 FIP across his last two starts while allowing an alarming 2.84 home runs per nine innings. He also owns a 38.6% hard-hit rate during the last month.
St. Louis should generate offense against King, while Pallante is well positioned to keep a struggling Padres lineup in check.
I'll play this pick up to -130.
COVERS INTEL: The Cardinals have an impressive 48.7% hard hit rate over their last seven games, suggesting this matchup against a struggling King is a perfect spot to keep raking.
Padres vs Cardinals Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (-125)
Despite King's recent struggles, he's worked into the sixth inning in three consecutive starts, limiting the amount of bullpen exposure.
San Diego's relief corps has been elite, posting a 2.30 ERA and 3.36 FIP over the last week while allowing just 0.66 home runs per nine innings.
As for St. Louis, Pallante typically pitches into the fifth or sixth inning. While the relief corps owns a 4.46 xERA over the last two weeks, the unit enters extremely well-rested after Dustin May threw a shutout on Monday.
Run line: Padres -1.5 (+170) | Cardinals +1.5 (-186)
Over/Under: Over 8.5 (+113) | Under 8.5 (-117)
Padres vs Cardinals trend
The Padres have hit the Under in 24 of their last 40 games (+6.50 Units / 15% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Padres vs. Cardinals.
How to watch Padres vs Cardinals and game info
Location
Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO
Date
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
First pitch
7:45 p.m. ET
TV
TBS
Padres starting pitcher
Michael King (4-5, 3.46 ERA)
Cardinals starting pitcher
Andre Pallante (7-4, 3.88 ERA)
Padres vs Cardinals latest injuries
Padres vs Cardinals weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
TORONTO, ON - JUNE 14: Will Warren #29 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Sunday, June 14, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Peter Sarellas/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The present day New York Yankees are in a fight for the lead in the American League East. Of course, there’s plenty of season left, but the Tampa Bay Rays have been either ahead of them or right on their heels. And in order for the Bombers to stay in the lead (and help separate themselves from the pack now without their leading slugger), they’re going to need even more of a full team effort.
That effort stems across the organization, from the hitters in the lineup, to those in the rotation, and those in the bullpen. One of the members at the back of the Yankees rotation who has continued to show just how valuable he can be is Will Warren, the young right-hander who is hoping to solidify himself not just as an above-average major league starter, but someone who can go above and beyond in the biggest moments for a Yankees team looking for another World Series title.
William Harper Warren Born: June 16, 1999 (Brandon, MS) Yankees Tenure: 2024-present
Will Warren was born in the southern region of the United States in Brandon, Mississippi. He grew up on the diamond before attending Jackson Preparatory School in Flowood, Mississippi from 2013 to 2017. He wasn’t the tallest, and he certainly wasn’t the biggest player on the field, but he racked up excellent numbers on the mound in high school, finishing his senior season with a 1.59 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 52.2 innings pitched in his 10 appearances.
Warren attended Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, Louisiana from 2018 to 2021. His freshman year he was utilized exclusively in the bullpen, appearing in 18 games and finishing with a 3.04 ERA. However, in his sophomore year he transitioned into a starter role; it was a slow start for the right-hander, though. In 14 games started and 16 games played, he finished with a 6.72 ERA in 67.0 innings pitched. He only allowed four home runs through the season, but he also allowed 74 hits and 50 earned runs. His coaching staff didn’t give up on his stuff, though. In his junior season, which was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Warren only pitched five games (which he finished with a 1.90 ERA in 23.2 innings pitched). He pitched two games as a starter and three out of the bullpen, but, just as it was in MLB, it was an odd season for every level of every sport.
His make-or-break senior season was where Warren finally seemed to grip the reins a bit more than he had in previous years. He pitched in 14 games and started all of them. He finished with an ERA of 2.57 across 91.0 innings (an average of 6.2 innings per game). He also pitched two complete games that year and finished with 95 strikeouts.
Following his four seasons at Southeastern Louisiana, he was drafted by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft. He made his professional debut in 2022 with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the High-A South Atlantic League, where he pitched eight total games before a call up to Double-A with the Somerset Patriots. He had a 3.60 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 35.0 innings pitched with the Renegades and then didn’t return to High-A ball. He stayed in Double-A for the rest of the season and pitched 18 games, all as a starter, and he acclimated as well as many would expect for a 23-year-old fresh to pro ball. He finished the season with a 4.06 ERA in 94.0 innings pitched with 83 strikeouts. And even though he allowed a decent amount of hits, he avoided the long ball and was able to strike batters out when he needed to.
Warren returned to Somerset at the beginning of the 2023 season, but the same story unfolded for him between Double and Triple-A as it had for High-A and Double-A the year before. He pitched in only six games with the Patriots before being called up again — the Yankees thought he should be with Scranton following a dominant 2.45 ERA start. He stayed in Triple-A for the rest of the year and pitched 99.2 innings, crossing the 100 strikeout mark for a single team for the first time in his career with 110. The first half of his season was a lot more rocky than the second half, given that he was still adjusting to the Automated Balls-Strikes system that Triple-A had just adopted at that point. But when he found his stride, there was a clear look at the potential he could provide to a major league rotation. He finished the year not just having allowed only two runs in 28.2 innings in September, but he also won the International League Pitcher of the Month award thanks to that performance. He ended with a 7-4 record with the Railriders, and would earn himself a shot with the big league team in the 2024 season.
However, the next year wasn’t as glamorous for Warren as he may have wanted it to be. He was invited to spring training as a non-roster player, but was eventually sent backto Triple-A and struggled. He pitched 23 games and crossed the 100.0 innings pitched plateau for the first time in his professional career. However, a 5.91 ERA was not the number in the box score anyone was expecting as one of the Yankees farm system’s top pitchers. Nonetheless, he was given the chance to make his major league debut after Gerrit Cole was scratched from his July 30th start due to general body fatigue. At age 25, Warren, donning the number 98, ran out to the mound for his first major league start. And it wasn’t the best start of all time, but there were certainly flashes as he posted 5.1 innings pitched with four hits, six strikeouts, two walks, and four earned runs against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Remaining with the team for the rest of the 2024 season, Warren received five more apperances on a major league mound (four of which were starts), but he posted a 10.51 ERA, a result of problems that had plagued him prior to the big leagues: giving up lots of contact and a lot of baserunners.
Warren was on the Opening Day roster for the Yankees in 2025 due to injuries to both Gerrit Cole and Luis Gil, and he was thrown into the fire. He won his first major league game against the San Francisco Giants at Yankee Stadium on April 12th, and went on to pitch 162.1 innings that season over 33 games, 33.1 more innings pitched than ever in his career, and about 53 more innings pitched at a single level in his career. A highlight of his year was posting his career-high in strikeouts against the Los Angeles Angels in six innings pitched a day following his 26th birthday.
Warren finished the season with a 4.44 ERA, a 92 ERA+, and questions about his future with the Yankees arose considering the return of Gil and, eventually, Cole, put his position in the rotation in jeopardy. The 2026 season (particularly his start to the year) was going to be crucial. But, Cole wasn’t set to return until a bit into the season, and Carlos Rodón, who had elbow surgery in October, wasn’t going to be ready for Opening Day either, giving Warren the perfect chance to seize his moment.
And he did. Warren, alongside new acquisition Ryan Weathers at the back of the rotation, was fantastic through the early parts of the season and helped build confidence in a fanbase that may have been shaky on him. He finished with a 2.59 ERA and 3-0 record in six games through March and April, and, even though things have begun to come back down to Earth following a 3.82 ERA in May (despite a 4-1 record over that time as well), he still managed plenty of excellent outings, including another 11 strikeout performance at Yankee Stadium against the Kansas City Royals, tying his career-high.
June has been less favorable to Warren than Yankees fans may want to see, but he has the stuff to remain a solid, durable arm at the back of the Bombers rotation. We’ll be celebrating his birthday following an outing where he had to labor against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, but also with the start of a new series, as the Yankees welcome the Chicago White Sox. Happy birthday Will, and best of luck the rest of this season!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - MARCH 23: A rear view as Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts and celebrates against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on March 23, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to our annual Lakers season in review series, where we’ll look back at each player on the team’s roster this season and evaluate if they should be part of the future of the franchise. Today, we continue our series with a look at Luka Dončić.
After getting a half-season look at a shell-shocked version of him, Lakers fans got the full Luka Dončić experience this season.
And yet, the season ending with him on the sideline will be one of the lasting visuals as the team heads into the offseason. Injuries, which have certainly played a role in Luka’s career, robbed him and the Lakers of any real chance of competing in the postseason.
Luka is unquestionably one of the league’s elites. The Lakers are heading into an offseason focused on maximizing the roster for him. Can he take them to the promised land?
How did he play?
The Lakers have seen a who’s who come through The Forum and Staples Center across decades. To do things no one has ever done means something more in Los Angeles.
That’s the type of season Luka had. The highlight of an incredible campaign was his March performance in which he became just the 10th player in league history to score at least 600 points.
If there were any lingering reservations about what he could do after an underwhelming 2024-25 season — at least by his standards — Luka aggressively swatted those away. He still is, without question, one of the game’s top offensive forces.
On top of leading the league in usage rate, Luka also finished with the second-best true shooting percentage of his career at 61.6%. He was fifth in the league in assist percentage and fourth in box plus/minus, finishing behind just the three MVP finalists.
In short, the Lakers put a lot on his plate and he did what alphas in the NBA do and carried them to another 50-win season. There is no doubt that, when healthy, he is one of the greatest players in the world.
It’s that caveat, though, that is left hanging over the season. Through the first 77 games of the season, Luka was mostly healthy. But a hamstring strain, an injury that has popped up at times in Luka’s career, cost him the end of the regular season and the entire playoffs.
While all the questions about production were wiped away, questions about withstanding the rigors of the season remain. Luka has once played fewer than 61 games in a season, that coming last year due to a calf strain. At the same time, he’s only once played more than 70 games and that was in his rookie season.
Perhaps another offseason of further working on his body will help him be able to handle the rigors of the NBA. Perhaps the Lakers make life a bit easier by surrounding him with players that maximize him, like athletic wings and lob-catching centers.
But no matter what, he has to be on the floor when it matters. Otherwise, an incredible season, like the one he had, still ends with a bitter taste in the mouth.
This is the simplest, quickest and most authoritative “yes” response on the roster to this question. As President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka noted in his exit interview, the hardest part of building a title contender is getting the superstar everything orbits around.
The Lakers have that in Luka. The question this summer, then, is whether the front office can build the right roster around him. At any available opportunity, Luka will speak of his love of playing in Los Angeles and being a Laker. An offseason in which the team can surround him with talent to further maximize him, and them, could lead to LA returning to the title-contention conversation.
From there, it’ll be Luka’s job to carry them to the mountaintop.
Kyle Calder, who played 10 NHL seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and four other teams, has died at age 47.
His death was announced by the NHL Alumni Association and his daughter, Madison.
"He was tough as nails on the ice, a fierce competitor who never backed down, yet behind that grit was a teddy bear heart," the Alumni Association said. "Kyle cared deeply for his teammates, friends and everyone fortunate enough to know him. He was a protector, a loyal friend, and someone who always put others before himself."
No cause of death was given.
"Dad, there will never ever be enough words in the world to describe how incredibly lucky I was to have you as my dad," Madison wrote on Instagram. "Never in a million years would I have thought this day would come. There will forever be a void in my heart, but forever a spot just for you.
"The father, husband, son, man, friend, coach, hockey player, and everything in between that you were is truly indescribable. The lessons you taught me, the strength you showed me, and the person you pushed me to become every single day – I carry all of it with me."
Calder was drafted in the fifth round by the Blackhawks in 1997 and played six seasons there. He twice topped 20 goals and 50 points, recording a career-best 26 goals and 59 points in 2005-06 season. He was an alternate captain that season.
He was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2006 and then to the Detroit Red Wings, via the Blackhawks, later in the 2006-07 season.
Our NHL Alumni family is deeply saddened by the passing of Kyle Calder.
Today, we mourn not only a respected former NHL player but a cherished teammate, friend, and member of our hockey brotherhood. Kyle embodied the values that make our alumni family so special: his loyalty,… pic.twitter.com/l5jAIjX95t
Calder spent two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and one with the Anaheim Ducks, signing as a free agent both times.
He finished his NHL career with 114 goals, 180 assists, 294 points and 309 penalty minutes in 590 regular-season games. He also had two goals and an assist in 18 playoff games with the Blackhawks and Red Wings.
He won a silver medal with Canada at the 1999 world junior championships and a gold medal at the 2002 world championships.
Calder coached youth hockey in his retirement.
"He took great pride in mentoring the next generation, and his impact on young athletes and their families will continue to be felt for years to come," the association said.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 21: Isaiah Evans #3 of the Duke Blue Devils looks on against the TCU Horned Frogs during the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 21, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the next month before the 2026 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at No. 22. Next up in this series is Duke’s Isaiah Evans.
Isaiah Evans was a five-star recruit and one of the top high school players in the country when he committed to Duke. He joined a loaded freshmen class featuring Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. Evans likely didn’t have the year he was hoping for as senior Tyrese Proctor and Tulane transfer Sion James were the other Blue Devils starters. Still, he turned a solid first year, nailing over 41% of his threes.
He decided to come back to Durham for a second season with an expanded role. He became an important cog for Duke as a sophomore, earning Third Team All-ACC honors while helping his team advance to the Elite Eight. Known for elite movement shooting, Evans showed marked improvement in his second collegiate season, but will it be enough to get him taken in the first round?
As soon as Evans steps on the floor he’s a threat to shoot. As a freshman, he shot 41.6% from deep on 4.1 attempts while only playing 13.8 minutes a game. That’s 12 threes per 40 minutes. The sheer volume is impressive. As a sophomore, the efficiency dipped (36.1%), but he was taking 7.4 triples a night while taking on a much larger role.
If Evans goes in the first round, shooting will be why. He’s an excellent shooter off movement and is in constant motion on the floor. He understands spacing and played extremely well off the dominant Cam Boozer in 2025-26. His form is fluid and repeatable and his release is lightning quick. He’s arguably the best pure shooter in the class.
What you like to see is his improvement from inside the arc. He jumped from 50% on twos as a freshman to 56.7% as a sophomore on way more attempts. He punished sleeping defenses with well-timed back-door cuts and made defenders pay for overaggressive closeouts. He’s not a playmaker by any means, but showed some ability to comfortably put the ball on the floor.
Other things Evans has going for him are height and length. He measured nearly 6-foot-6 without shoes at the combine with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. A sharpshooter with the versatility to play guard or wing would be invaluable. While he was listed at 175 pounds at Duke, he weighed in at 186 at the combine, perhaps a sign he’ll be able to gain muscle going forward.
Weaknesses
The reality is all of Evans’ game could use work outside of his shot.
As mentioned, he’s not a creator off the dribble. His ability to move without the ball is crucial. While movement shooting is an NBA skill every team covets, he’s a limited offensive player overall.
And while he has height and length, he is quite skinny. He was often pushed around by bigger players, casting doubt on his ability to viably guard NBA wings — or really guard anybody. He’s going to need to gain muscle to hang with NBA players for 82-plus games a season. He’s also just an OK athlete.
Positional Fit
Evans profiles best as a two. He doesn’t handle well enough or playmake enough to be a point guard and he’s likely too skinny to play the wing. For the Sixers, there could certainly be a fit as a sharpshooter off the bench. The New York Knicks just won the NBA Finals in part because of how they outshot their opponents — including the Sixers — from three. Having a guard like Evans who can come in firing would be a plus. His shooting can legitimately be game-changing (watch his game against St. John’s in the Sweet 16).
The issue is going to be how he can fit next to Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe. It’s funny because Evans has shades of a taller and longer Isaiah Joe. Again, if Evans can add strength — the pounds he seemingly added ahead of the combine are encouraging — and improve defensively, perhaps he can play the wing. That would make him much more valuable, especially to a team like the Sixers. The other concern is usage. Nick Nurse never seemed to find a way to use Jared McCain, who thrived in OKC. Would Nurse be able get the most out of Evans?
Most mocks have Evans going somewhere in the 20s. Here he’s taken with the last pick in the first round. Going to Dallas and reuniting with his former Duke teammate in Flagg would make a good bit of sense. They need all the spacing they can get for their budding superstar and Evans already has experience playing off of him.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 26: Chris Cenac Jr. #5 of the Houston Cougars shoots the ball against Tomislav Ivisic #13 of the Illinois Fighting Illini during the first half in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Toyota Center on March 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Knicks enter the 2026 NBA Draft (June 23-24, 2026) with the 24th, 31st, and 55th picks. Fresh off a drought-breaking championship run, Leon Rose & Co. don’t need to hunt for star power. Instead, they can focus on low-risk / low-cost depth and high-upside development.
Depending on how the draft board falls, Houston freshman big man Chris Cenac, Jr. could be available when New York is on the clock late in the first round or early in the second. Adding such an impressive physical specimen to the frontcourt pipeline is always a promising idea. Should the Knicks consider him as an understudy to Mitchell Robinson?
The Basics
School: Houston
Position: Power forward / center
Height: 6’11” (6’10.25″ barefoot at the NBA Draft Combine)
Projected Draft Range: Late first to early second round (Picks 20–35)
The Numbers
Maybe 9.5 points per game on 49% shooting doesn’t scream first-round lock. But you have to view those numbers through the lens of Kelvin Sampson’s veteran-heavy system at Houston. Cenac wasn’t a featured offensive hub as a freshman learning to grind.
The number that should pop for Knicks fans is 7.9 rebounds in just 24.8 minutes per game. Cenac led Houston in rebounding as a true freshman—the first player to do so in nearly 15 years. His 26% defensive rebounding rate is a metric that instantly translates to an NBA rotation.
Efficiency-wise, Cenac is a tale of two zones. At the rim, he was explosive, converting 78% of his looks at the basket, heavily propped up by crushing 37 dunks on 40 attempts. However, his overall field goal percentage was dragged down by his perimeter frequency; he took 90 three-pointers on the season. While a 33% clip from deep is not bad for a 19-year-old near-7-footer, his 62% mark from the charity stripe line suggests his shot is still a work in progress.
What Does He Do Well?
Elite Physical Profile and Functional Athleticism: Cenac was a standout at the 2026 Draft Combine. Standing just a shade under 6’11” with a massive 7’5″ wingspan and a 9-foot-0.5″ standing reach, he possesses the prototypical frame of a modern NBA big. He’s fluid, moves like a wing in transition, and boasts a 37-inch maximum vertical.
Relentless Rebounding: Cenac doesn’t just rely on height to clear the glass, but also seeks out contact. He recorded 13 double-digit rebounding games this past season. He tracks looseballs well and has an excellent second jump to secure contested balls.
Modern Face-Up Potential: He’s solid, but he ain’t Shaq. Few humans are. Unlike Shaq, Cenac is comfortable facing up from the perimeter and has a decent handle from his earlier days of playing point-forward. That allows him to attack slower bigs off the bounce or stretch the floor in pick-and-pop scenarios.
What Are the Concerns?
Raw Offensive Polish: Outside of finishing lobs, cutting hard to the rim, and hitting occasional spot-up triples, Cenac’s half-court offense is largely theoretical. He ran very little P&R as the roll man at Houston (just seven tracking possessions all year). He will have a steep learning curve anchoring an NBA offense.
Playmaking and Decision-Making: The point-forward idea might have been a little pie-in-the-sky. With a 0.7 assists per game against a much higher turnover rate, Cenac showed tunnel vision when he decided to drive. He needs to learn to read rotating defenses and make the kick-out pass.
Defensive Discipline: While playing under Coach Sampson likely gave him a phenomenal foundation in defensive positioning and rotation, Cenac averaged just 0.5 blocks per game despite his 7’5″ wingspan. He occasionally played too conservatively as a rim protector or got caught out of position trying to help on the perimeter.
The Knicks Fit
Cenac’s ability to hit the occasional, open spot-up three gives some hope for a stretch-five option that the Knicks’ bench lacks. He would not crack the active rotation on opening night, but maps out as a promising long-term project. Think of Cenac as insurance for the center rotation. With Mitchell Robinson’s injury history and contract talks looming, the Knicks need a few reliable, physical, defensive-minded bigs behind or beside Karl-Anthony Towns. Cenac has the physical tools you’d want in a drop-coverage rim protector, mixed with a modern—if theoretical—scoring punch. He could challenge Ariel Hukporti and Pacome Dadiet in training camp for third-stringer spots, and most likely get reps with the Westchester Knicks this season.
NBA Comparisons
Best-Case Comparison: Kel’el Ware / Christian Wood (with a better defensive motor)
Median Outcome: Mo Bamba
Low-End Outcome: Damian Jones
The Verdict
At No. 24: Consider. If the top-tier guards and wings are off the board (Isaiah Evans, e.g.), taking an upside swing on a five-star freshman with a 7’5″ wingspan who survived the Houston developmental gauntlet is a smart asset play.
At No. 31: Run to the podium. If Cenac slips into the second round due to his raw offensive numbers, Leon Rose should draft him without hesitation.
Jun 7, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron (1) fields and throws to first for an out in Game 2 of the Super Regional between Alabama and St. John's at Sewell-Thomas Stadium. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The 2026 is about a month away — the first round kicks off on July 11, 2026 — so its time to start offering capsule looks at players the Texas Rangers could select with their top picks. The Rangers’ first round pick is at #16, their second round pick is at #54, and their third round pick is at #89.
Leading up to draft day, we will be doing writeups of some of the players who could end up getting selected by the Rangers with one of their first three picks. Today we are looking at University of Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron.
Justin Lebron is a 6’2”, 180 lb. righthanded hitting shortstop at the University of Alabama, where he has been a three year starter. Lebron was undrafted and largely off of folks’ radars out of high school in Florida. He turns 22 in November.
Lebron is a toolshed who Keith Law says would probably be the “obvious 1-1 pick” 30 years ago. The reports praise his bat speed and his ability to handle velocity. He also has impressive power, with his raw power grade projecting at 60 to 70. Unfortunately, he also has major contact issues, and struggles with pitch recognition. The result is a hit tool that lags behind everything else — if his hit tool profiled even as average, he’d be a top 3 pick.
Defensively, he’s a true shortstop who should have no problems sticking at the position, and who could be an above-average defender. He also has very good speed. MLB Pipeline says that all his tools other than his hit tool are plus, and Lebron gets good marks for his makeup and athleticism as well.
As a freshman, Lebron slashed .338/.429/.546, with 20 walks against 53 Ks in 254 plate appearances. He improved as a sophomore, slashing .316/.421/.636, with 18 homers, 68 Ks and 35 walks in 281 plate appearances while going 17 for 18 on the basepaths. His junior season has been more difficult, however — his slash line dropped to .277/.384/.536, with 27 walks against 56 Ks in 281 plate appearances, though he was an eye-popping 41 for 42 in stolen base attempts.
I’ve seen Lebron described as a big wild card in this draft, due to his extreme upside/extreme risk profile. He has arguably the most upside of anyone in the draft, but the pitch recognition issues and difficult against non-fastballs means that there’s big bust potential there that could scare teams in the top half of the first round off.
Lebron’s disappointing junior season would appear to have hurt his draft stock, although he picked things up late in the year, and impressed early on in the College World Series, though Alabama was eliminated yesterday. I saw multiple write-ups discuss him as fitting the profile that the Orioles, who pick 7th, like. He doesn’t seem to fit the profile of what the Rangers have gone after in the draft in recent years, though the upside may be high enough that Texas would roll the dice on him at #16.
ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 15: Outfielder Drew Burress #8 of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets bats during the Spring Classic college baseball game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on April 15, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As we close in on the 2026 MLB Draft, the focus on who the Atlanta Braves are looking at for the ninth overall pick has come into focus a bit. Names like Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress, Arkansas catcher Ryder Helfrick, Kentucky shortstop Tyler Bell, and Florida prep lefty Gio Rojas seem to be the names most prominently linked to the club. Massachusetts prep lefty Brody Bumila is also a name that has received some buzz. My goal is to start to break down who these players are and their strengths and weaknesses to prepare you for the newest Braves prospect.
We will continue the series by staying locally with Tech All American outfielder Drew Burress, as his name is getting the most buzz right now.
OF Drew Burress (@GTBaseball) launched a hung SL off of the scoreboard in LCF for his 11th HR on the spring. Ripped a hard GB back thru the mid later, walked it off in B10 on a SF. Lightning fast hds & easy + bat spd. Tons of range in CF & high baseball acumen. Jr./'26 elig.… pic.twitter.com/jfpr2ycJq8
— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) May 9, 2026
Bio
Name: Drew Burress
Position: Centerfield
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 185
College: Georgia Tech
High School: Houston County HS (Warner Robins, GA)
Previously Drafted: N/A
Bats/Throws: R/R
Stats
2024: .381/.512/.821, 15 2B, 3 3B, 25 HR, 67 RBI, 8-10 SB, 58 BB, 37 K in 285 PA over 58 games
2024: .125/.282/.219, 3 2B, 0 3B, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 3-4 SB, 13 BB, 22 K in 78 PA over 18 games in Cape Cod League
2025: .333/.469/.693, 23 2B, 1 3B, 19 HR, 62 RBI, 10-11 SB, 53 BB, 42 K in 290 PA over 60 games
2026: .358/.473/.657, 22 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 10-14 SB, 49 BB, 43 K in 311 PA over 61 games
Hit 50/55
Cam Johnson done after facing just 3 batters.
Threw two strikes— one of them went nearly 400 feet and exited the yard at 112 MPH for Drew Burress’s 59th career HR.
GT has scored 33 runs in less than 19 innings. That was DB’s first hit of the weekend. pic.twitter.com/ptENVZIiv6
Burress came onto the scene as a true freshman and has never looked back, with an OPS of 1.130 being his lowest mark in three seasons. He’s never hit below .333 and because he is a patient hitter who will take his share of walks, he has never had an OBP lower than .469. He also struggled to hit with the wood bats in the Cape back in 2024 as well as last summer with the US National team – though to be fair that team as a whole struggled with the bats against Japan.
Two areas where Burress has struggled are against breaking balls and some offspeed. Against 76 to 79 MPH pitches he has slashed .091/.259/.136 with only an 84.2 MPH exit velocity, while in 55 plate appearances against sweepers he slashed .357/.471/.357. Those pitches, particularly low in the zone, have been able to beat him and are why I tend to go with the 50 hit tool grade instead of the 55 others may give, as I think better pitchers in the big leagues will be able to exploit that weakness better than college pitchers were able to.
Power 55
OF Drew Burress (@GTBaseball) absolutely unloads on this ball to grab the lead in B8, this one still going up as it went out. Knew it as soon as it left the bat. High 1st round talent in next years draft.
One of the biggest knocks on Burress is that his production has dropped each year at Tech, as his homers and slugging percentage have dropped in both 2025 and again in 2026. Still he hit 35 homers between those two seasons, thanks in part to a quick, compact swing with plenty of bat speed. His raw power is definitely plus, despite him being undersized – but I have him as more of a 55 grade, because I think that will play down slightly on the next level.
It’s known that Burress isn’t very big, probably a bit smaller than his listed 5’9 size. With that and the fact his exit velocities are more good than the elite numbers you would expect from a player with his power production, I tend to believe that his power may not play to it’s maximum in games as a pro. It is also worth noting on pitches between 94-97 MPH he slashed .375/.444/.438 in 16 at bats, with no at bats registered at velocities above that. His exit velocities on those pitches were high, but it is something we haven’t seen him show his power against.
Speed 55
Burress is an above average runner, who should have the speed to both have a real chance to stick in center and steal 20+ bases a year in the big leagues.
Glove 55
He’s got the speed and instincts to be an above average center fielder in the longterm. I would not be too worried about him having to move off the position, at least for the next 5-10 years. In the event he did have to move, his athleticism would be more than enough to slide to either corner and be an asset defensively.
Arm 60
The arm is a plus arm which means in the event that he couldn’t stick in center, he would be more than adequate if he moved over to right field. Not only is his arm big, but he’s displayed a strong ability to pick up the outfield assist – a skill not all big armed outfielders have mastered.
Overall
I like Burress, but at the same time I am not in love with him as a prospect. There are too many questions regarding his hit tool and even the power. I think his ceiling is probably more of a solid regular who hits sixth in a lineup, rather than a potential All Star you want in the heart of the order. When you’re picking at 9th overall, I tend to prefer upside, and am not sure that Burress has that, especially due to the fact his game seemed to take a step backwards ever since his breakout freshman season – rather than forwards.
I personally am a bit lower on Burress than any other rankings I’ve seen, but if the Braves drafted him he would probably rank in the Top 3 prospects in the system – behind Eric Hartman, and right there with Cam Caminiti and Tate Southisene. He could probably start his pro career in High-A Rome, though the Braves could do what they did with Alex Lodise and send him to Low-A to work with that coaching staff – a coaching staff excellent at working with hit tools. Depending on their plan for him, he could possibly make it to Atlanta by the end of next year to late in the 2028 season – but that depends on if they go aggressive or if they believe he needs more work on the hit tool.
This team is stupid. This season is stupid. This game makes WPA look stupid. It isn’t often that I look at a one-run deficit heading to the ninth and am pretty sure the Cubs will eventually walk the game off. I wasn’t sure it would be in the ninth. But I was pretty sure they’d get there. This was definitely a game where it felt like both teams were trying to give the game away, but the Rockies are a bit more adept at doing so.
By the third batter of the ninth inning, I was positive the Cubs would walk this one off barring something like a freak line-drive triple play. And make no mistake, I was factoring that in way beyond any reasonable estimate at the exact likelihood of that event. The Rockies certainly seemed incapable of throwing enough strikes down the stretch of this one to exploit the Cubs’ biggest weakness of striking out three straight times with runners in scoring position. Nor were they likely to even get a couple of weak pop-ups with the gas they were throwing. Any contact seemed likely to be a line drive.
I showed my Nostradamus skills and ability to go way out on tenuous limbs and predict that Pete Crow-Armstrong would eventually hit for the cycle. He’d already had one close call and one close-ish call this year. That felt to me a little like Jake Arrieta before he eventually threw a no-hitter. You just knew that Pete had all of the skills that would make a batter hit for a cycle. He blistered five balls on the day and very easily could have had a five hit cycle.
PCA’s game was one that almost certainly has people looking at WPA confused. I could say that both getting picked off and the sacrifice fly had significant adverse effects on the game. The pickoff of PCA flipped the momentum of the game. The Cubs had two singles, two walks and saw a Rockies wild pitch and didn’t score a run. Then, the Rockies hit a three-run homer in the top of the next inning. But somehow, PCA had a homer, triple, and double before the Rockies scored their first run and if he’d left the game at that point, PCA still wouldn’t make the podium in this game.
If I wanted to defend WPA, I’d say yeah but the Cubs flipped the script and scored a run in the eighth and two in the ninth to walk this off. So much of the equity is tied into those late clutch plays that helped walk it off, right? Then how the heck do I explain how Shōta Imanaga was the Superhero? Well, Imanaga was the Superhero of the first chunk of this game. He allowed one run over 5.2 innings of work. For WPA purposes, Phil Maton gets charged for the one run. But Matt Shaw is the hitting star of those first six innings, by way of his RBI triple to give the Cubs the lead in the sixth.
Then Shaw comes back and gets the walk off to nudge him into the Hero spot in this one. Pedro Ramirez gets a game-tying single in the ninth. That lands him the third spot. Ian Happ’s contribution to the walk off actually lands him fourth. No love from PCA for the cycle in a tight game. That’s about as tough a crowd as you’ll see. But we are watching PCA emerge as a potential Rizzo award winner. Michael Busch is no slouch, but PCA has gained three points on Busch over the last eight games, despite Busch being fairly hot too.
Only one team has fewer saves than the Cubs. That team has nine fewer wins (Angels). I’m not doing a research project on this, but off the top of my head, two of the 10 saves the Cubs do have are three-inning saves. No team has fewer save opportunities than the Cubs. The three teams tied with them for the least opportunities are at 29, 29 and 32 wins. And again, among the 21 save opportunities the Cubs have had are two three-inning saves. If I were going to deep dive these numbers, I would look into how many of the Cubs 11 blown saves were even in the ninth inning? Toss the two three-inning saves and all of the blown saves that were like this one, with the save being blown in the eighth. Not that those don’t count, but I’m looking for the number of actual ninth inning (or later), turn the ball over to a reliever to get three outs for a save. I’m pretty sure also that at least one of the saves is in extra innings.
I did peek quickly at the wins and I think it is one last at bat win, in addition to the nine walk offs. There was one game against the Dodgers in LA where the Cubs scored two runs in the ninth and won 6-4. Unless I’m forgetting a game that entered the ninth tied and ended up being a bit of a blowout, that’s the only last inning road win so far. But at 10 of 38 wins, that means that more than a quarter of this team’s wins are in the final inning. Simply wild. I don’t go down the rabbit holes often, but I wonder what the records are for walk offs and for last inning wins.
Positives:
Pete Crow-Armstrong with the reverse cycle, giving the Cubs a lead off homer to get things started. He added a sacrifice fly that helped the comeback.
Shōta Imanaga allowed one run over 5.2 innings.
Pedro Ramirez came off the bench for two hits and drove in the tying run. I get the frustration that he’s not playing more, but I applaud that A) they are trying to pick spots to allow him to succeed and B) they didn’t shy away from getting him into a close game late and take key plate appearances.
Matt Shaw got a start and made the most of it. Two hits, one a triple and the walk off walk.
Hat tips to Michael Conforto who had a nice plate appearance and drew a walk and Daniel Palencia who recovered from a lead off walk with three straight strikeouts.
Game 73, June 15: Cubs 5, Rockies 4 (38-35)
Reminder: Heroes and Goats are determined by WPA scores and are in no way subjective.
THREE HEROES:
Superhero: Shōta Imanaga (.294). 5.2 IP, 22 BF, 5 H, BB, ER, 3 K
Hero: Matt Shaw (.286). 2-4, 3B, BB, 2 RBI, R
Sidekick: Pedro Ramirez (.276). 2-2, RBI
THREE GOATS:
Billy Goat: Caleb Thielbar (-.508). IP, 4 BF, H, ER, K
Goat: Phil Maton (-.101). 0.1 IP, 3 BF, BB, HBP
Kid: Michael Busch (-.099). 0-2, 2 BB, HBP
WPA Play of the Game: Cole Carrigg’s three-run homer off of Caleb Thielbar in the eighth inning turned a one run deficit to a two run lead. (.616)
Cubs Play of the Game: Ian Happ barely got a bat on a ball and bounced it back to Juan Mejia with a runner on first and no outs in the ninth, the Cubs down one. Mejia threw it into centerfield and the Cubs ended up with runners on first and third. (.329)
Cubs Player of the Game:
Game 72 Winner: There are ongoing issues with polls that Al and I are working on. Informally, it looked like about 4-3 in favor of Pete Crow-Armstrong over Ryan Rolison. Hopefully, that was a representative sample.
Rizzo Award Standings: (Top 5/Bottom 5)
The award is named for Anthony Rizzo, who finished first in this category three of the first four years it was in existence and four times overall. He also recorded the highest season total ever at +65.5. The point scale is three points for a Superhero down to negative three points for a Billy Goat.
Michael Busch +25
Pete Crow-Armstrong +15
Ben Brown +12.5
Michael Conforto +10
Trent Thornton/Carson Kelly +7.5
Matt Shaw/Jameson Taillon -8
Phil Maton -10
Caleb Thielbar -11
Dansby Swanson -12
Seiya Suzuki -23.5
Up Next: Game two of the three-game series. Edward Cabrera (4-3, 4.86) starts against Ryan Feltner (2-2, 5.20) in a rematch from a game the Cubs won 9-3 last Thursday. The Cubs scored six runs in just 4.1 innings off of Feltner and Cabrera held the Rockies to two runs over 5.1. It could help that the Rockies ended up using six relievers on Monday and the Cubs only four.
PORT ST. LUCIE, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Nicolas Carreno #60 of the New York Mets throws a pitch during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Clover Park on March 19, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
This was not a good week for the Mets minor league offense. In total, the St. Lucie Mets, Brooklyn Cyclones, Binghamton Rumble Ponies, and Syracuse Mets hit 16 home runs in a combined 24 games. Add in two triples and twenty-seven doubles, and that’s 45 total extra base hits over 24 games, which comes out to roughly two per game. JT Benson was responsible for 2 home runs and 4 extra base hits- 13% of all of the home runs hit this week and 8% of all of the extra base hits- and is our Mets minor league hitter of the week as a result.
Johnathon Tyler Benson was signed by the Mets this March. Previously, he attended the University of Louisville, where he played for three seasons, hitting a cumulative .284/.402/.494 in 128 games with 16 home runs, 51 stolen bases, and 66 walks to 96 strikeouts between 2022 and 2024. The outfielder went undrafted after graduating and played for the Lake Country DockHounds, an independent team in the American Association. There, he hit .286/.385/.418 in 27 games with 2 home runs, 9 stolen bases, and 9 walks to 19 strikeouts. The right-hander was unable to garner a contract with a major league team and returned to the indies in 2025, signing a contract with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier Association. There, he hit .295/.412/.477 in 80 games, with 10 home runs, 24 walks, and 45 walks to 67 strikeouts. He planned on returning to the DockHounds for the 2026 and had reached an agreement with team management, but the Mets offered him a minor league contract and he wisely did not turn the opportunity down.
The 24-year-old Benson was assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets to begin his professional career and played with them for roughly a month and a half before being promoted to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones. In 33 games with St. Lucie, the outfielder hit .276/.361/.578 with 5 home runs, 8 stolen bases, and 11 walks to 36 strikeouts and in 19 games with Brooklyn is currently hitting .238/.360/.460 with 2 home runs, 3 stolen bases, and 8 walks to 20 strikeouts. Altogether, in his first few months of professional baseball, Benson is hitting a cumulative .263/.361/.536 in 52 games with 16 doubles, 6 triples, 7 home runs, 11 stolen bases in 16 attempts, and 19 walks to 56 strikeouts.
At the plate, Benson stands slightly open, holding his hands high at the eyes, waggling his bat between one and three o’clock. He swings with a moderate leg lift, swinging with a bit of loft; while playing at St. Lucie, he regularly registered 100+ MPH exit velocities and launch angles in the 8-32 sweet spot. On the whole, he is a dead-red fastball hitter; while in St. Lucie, he hit .306/.405/.694 with a 25% Whiff Rate against fastballs, as opposed to .231/.286/.385 with a 50% Whiff Rate against breaking balls and .125/.125/.500 with a 50% Whiff rate against off-speed pitches.
Benson’s batted ball data is very encouraging. With the caveat that he is older than practically everybody else in the league and has much more experience than most, he currently has a 25.6% line drive rate, 33.3% groundball rate, and 41.0% flyball rate. While playing with the St. Lucie Mets earlier in the season, he had equally encouraging 34.2% line drive, 27.8% groundball, and 38.0% flyball rates. At both levels together, he has been pulling the ball at a 40.0% rate, going back up the middle at a 28.3% rate, and going to the opposite field at a 31.7% rate.
Putting the ball in play has been an issue for the outfielder, who had a 27.1% K% in St. Lucie and currently has a 28.2% K% with the Brooklyn Cyclones. Thanks to his extremely favorable spray tendencies, he was able to post a .355 BABIP in St. Lucie and is currently running a .342 BABIP with the Cyclones, and his success seemingly will be highly dependent on his ability to continue maintaining those favorable tendencies and maintaining that high BABIP, because, with a .237 batting average, Benson might quickly become untenable as a hitter if it begins dropping with a BABIP normalization.
Nicolas Carreno
Week: 1 G (1 GS), 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K (High-A)
Venezuelan left-hander Nicolas Carreno was initially signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates back on January 15, 2023, signed to an undisclosed sum- as an undersized left-handed pitcher whose fastball sat 89-91, it is unlikely that the southpaw received much more than a token sum. The 17-year-old was assigned to one of Pittsburgh’s Dominican Summer League affiliates, the Pirates Black and posted a 10.50 ERA in 12.0 innings over 12 games, allowing 12 hits, walking 21, and striking out 17. He began the 2024 season assigned to their other DSL affiliate, the Pirates Gold, and had a bit more success; in 21.2 innings over 8 starts, he posted a 3.74 ERA, allowing 11 hits, walking 17, and striking out 36.
On July 30, 2024, the Pirates traded Carreno to the Mets in exchange for 29-year-old left-hander Josh Walker, who had a 5.11 ERA in 12.1 innings at the major league level and a 2.83 ERA in 28.2 innings with Triple-A Syracuse. Carreno was assigned to the DSL Mets Orange and made three more starts on the season, allowing 4 earned runs in 10.1 innings, giving up 8 hits, walking 7, and striking out 9. All in all, for the DSL Pirates and DSL Mets combined, the left-hander posted a cumulative 3.66 ERA in 32.2 innings over 11 starts, allowing 19 hits, walking 24, and striking out 45.
The 19-year-old was brought stateside in 2025, assigned to the FSL Mets. He appeared in 12 games for them, making 3 starts, and posted a 6.85 ERA in 22.1 innings, allowing 20 hits, walking 19, and striking out 25. He was promoted to Single-A St. Lucie at the end of August and appeared in 2 games for them, making 1 start. In 6.0 innings of work total, he allowed four runs but just one earned run, giving up 6 hits, walking none, and striking out 7. He remained with the St. Lucie Mets when the 2026 season started, and ended up appearing in 11 games, starting 6. The left-hander posted a 1.94 ERA in 41.2 innings, allowing 23 hits, walking 21, and striking out 58. He was promoted to the High-A Brooklyn Cyclones on June 11 and has since made a single start with them, which went quite well.
Carreno, who is listed at 5’10”, 155-pounds, has certainly put on some weight but looks every inch 5’10”. The left-hander throws from a slingy three-quarters arm slot with a long arm action through the back. So far this season, Carreno has relied on a three-pitch mix consisting of a four-seam fastball, a two-seam fastball, and a slider. He used his four-seam fastball about 30% of the time while pitching for St. Lucie, where statcast hookups can give us precise information about his pitches, his two-seam fastball also about 30% of the time, and his slider about 40% of the time.
Carreno’s four-seam fastball sits in the low-to-high-90s, averaging 95 MPH and topping out at 98 MPH. The pitch has averaged 2,500 RPM of spin and roughly 15 inches of induced vertical break, the former above-average for a four-seam fastball and the latter about average. Opposing batters are hitting .267/.452/.467 against the pitch with a 29% Whiff Rate; Carreno often has trouble throwing his fastball for strikes, leading to hittable, grooved pitches in the strike zone when the left-hander needs to throw one in the zone.
His two-seam fastball mirrors almost all of the metrics that his four-seam fastball produces except it has roughly 5 inches less of induced vertical break and about 4-8 additional inches of arm-side movement. He gets fewer swings-and-misses with the pitch but held opposing hitters in the Florida State League to a much more palatable .133/.235/.300 batting line.
By far, Carreno’s best pitch is his slider. The pitch sits in the low-80s-to-low-90s, averaging 86 MPH. With anywhere between 1-5 inches of horizontal movement, the pitch has sharp, cutter-like sudden slice and has carved up Florida State League hitters, limiting them to a .145/.272/.188 batting line with a 44.3% Whiff Rate. The left-hander is able to control and command the pitch better than his fastballs, and the pitch gets reliable swings-and-misses both inside and outside of the zone.
Earlier in his career, when he was still with the Pirates, he was working on adding a changeup to his repertoire, but the project has since been paused and/or cancelled, as the southpaw does not throw a change. As he progresses up the minor league ladder, he will need to develop a suitable third pitch to remain a viable pitcher, though the need for one diminishes a bit if his ultimate destiny is the bullpen, especially with how effective his slider has been.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JUNE 14: Byron Buxton #25 of the Minnesota Twins bats against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 14, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
At the trade deadline coming up, the Phillies are going to make a move. That is all but a guarantee at this point being as how, under Dave Dombrowski, they have made a move at each deadline under his control. This year, there are some pretty striking needs the team has that are probably going to be upgraded from the outside as opposed to bringing someone up from the minor leagues.
What the priority order is for those positions can be debated rather thoroughly. The offense has been quite uneven on the season, meaning a bat, preferably a right handed one, should top the wishlist of the team, but an argument can be made for each of these other two. There is no order done here that shows which position is most in need of an upgrade. It’s just some hopes and dreams at three spots on the roster.
Left handed reliever
Dream target: Aroldis Chapman
Jose Alvarado has been shaky, at best. Tanner Banks has been bitten by the BABIP gods far too often and looks simply unreliable. Kyle Backhus was looking decent prior to his injury, but it’s still Kyle Backhus. The team needs a reliable, lockdown left handed reliever and the one best suited to their needs is Chapman. While he’s no longer the dominant force he was before, he’s still one of the premier left handed relievers in the game. His 34.6% strikeout rate is ninth among all relievers with at least 20 innings pitched, his whiff rate of 32.7% still in the top percentiles.
Break it down further, his sinker, among those that have thrown the pitch at least 100 times, has the second best whiff rate in the game, his slider, among those that have thrown it at least 50 times, 14th best in the game at generating swings and misses. He still possesses swing and miss stuff, something that is particularly useful during the postseason. In a still more granular level, Chapman has seen left handed batters 22 times this year and has allowed a .167 slugging percentage. He’s pretty much exactly what the team needs from a left handed pitcher.
The asking price on his services is likely to be high. The Red Sox, if they decide to sell, will have an asset in Chapman that they will want to cash in on. Relievers are always in high demand, particularly those who have Chapman’s skillset. In a bidding war, the team may not have the pieces needed to entice the Red Sox in a trade.
Realistic targets: Jojo Romero, Stephen Okert, Andrew Nardi, Erik Miller
All four pitchers listed here are something of the same: they’re playing on teams that are probably going to sell at the deadline and they’re kind of iffy against left handed hitting. The only one to have a slight quibble with is Romero, who is pitching for the Cardinals, a team in surprising contention in the National League, but they have made no bones about their desire to continue rebuilding, so we’ll throw him in here.
Usually when acquiring a left handed pitcher, one looks to see how well he fares against same sided hitting. These four are surprisingly not that great.
Name/Stats vs. LHH
TBF
ERA
K%
BB%
OPS
Hard%
Erik Miller
41
3.00
29.3%
9.8%
.798
20.0%
Steven Okert
58
1.72
19.0%
5.2%
.442
28.6%
Jojo Romero
53
3.46
30.2%
5.7%
.787
39.4%
Andrew Nardi
48
3.38
29.2%
12.5%
.812
44.4%
These aren’t numbers that blow anyone off the page when considering how well they’d do at their primary job, which would be to get left handed hitters out. The biggest tests in the postseason would come from the likes of Shohei Ohtani, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Christian Yelich, et al., so seeing that they haven’t been that good can be a bit disconcerting. These same numbers against right handed hitters are more or less the same, giving a “what you see is what you get” feel.
Yet as with anything, their market they can shop in will be limited thanks to their lack of impact talent they can offer back in a trade. How much team control they have might work in the Phillies favor for a few. Romero is a free agent after this season, Okert has one year of team control left, Nardi two years of control, Miller three. You can basically see how the price would change for each pitcher as their control goes up.
Starting pitcher
Dream target: Tarik Skubal
I mean, this is everyone’s top target. Skubal is the best trade piece on the market no matter the position. The Tigers have more or less faded from the playoff picture, even if Skubal helps them win every fifth day. Their future is best served by moving him and he will command a high asking price.
But consider the fit.
A rotation of Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, Tarik Skubal and Jesus Luzardo is instantly, without a doubt, the best rotation in the game. You could pick the Phanatic to pitch as the fifth starter and it would still be the best. Any playoff game that would be started by that quartet, they should be the favorite. They would have to score runs for them, something this offense feels allergic to, but they’d also allow few, if any, runs themselves.
It truly would be the best possible trade they could make.
What would have to go in return? Andrew Painter? Sure, send him on. Painter plus Aidan Miller? Hey, does David Wright 2.0 need help packing? If there is a package that the Phillies could create to make a move for Skubal, they should be entertaining it.
Realistic targets: Michael Lorenzen
It’s not the most desirable outcome for the team as simply keeping the status quo is probably more desirable than trading for someone like Lorenzen, but he is the aisle the team would probably be shopping in considering the quality of their prospects to trade away. Lorenzen had this insane desire to actually want to pitch in Colorado this year and as his numbers suggest, he’s kind of gotten what he’s asked for. He’d be someone to come in and give the team innings, something that maybe they could use if they decided to head to a six-man rotation in August, but he’s not someone they’d pitch in the playoffs at all. That’s something of a benchmark for making trades for a team like the Phillies.
Right handed starting outfielder
Dream target: Byron Buxton
Alright, here me out.
Buxton has for years been the über-talented, oft injured center fielder for the Twins, one that always seemed to put up great numbers in half the time. He is putting together yet another fantastic season, hitting .276/.335/.606 with 23 home runs at the plate, his defense in center field once again sublime and his contract more than palatable to absorb. For a team that is starved for any kind of production from the right side, Buxton would be the perfect salve for what ails them.
The issues?
Price tag and desire.
Buxton has already once refused to be traded from his humble abode in Minnesota. Understandable. Being traded from the organization that drafted, developed, played and ultimately extended you has to be something that would create massive upheaval in one’s life. Maybe Buxton was simply so comfortable with his surroundings last year, he didn’t wish to move. There haven’t been any more whispers of his waiving that no-trade clause he has in his contract, but one can never know exactly what would happen.
The other issue would be the price tag. Trading Buxton would be franchise altering for the Twins. They’d be moving someone that has grown with them into a star, someone who is quite productive and someone who has a contract that isn’t particularly burdensome. It would take a handsome price to pay for the Phillies to be able to pry him loose, likely detonating the top half of their prospect lists to facilitate a move.
Is that worth it?
Realistic targets: Jo Adell? Seiya Suzuki?
I suppose we have to identify these two as the ones the team should be pursuing the most as they have been named already as the targets the Phillies have already been asking about. Both are flawed, but possess something the Phillies have little of: right handed power.
Adell hit 37 home runs last year, yet managed an OPS below .800. That’s difficult to do. He has followed that up with a slugging percentage closer to .375 than .450, something of a problem. To say he struggles on defense would be an undersell, those home run robberies notwithstanding. He would fill that particular need on the Phillies, but would he do it well?
Suzuki is a pending free agent on a team that is looking to add for a postseason run, not really give players away. The Cubs are looking for starting pitching, something the Phillies are also looking to add a dash of themselves. He’s been good with his bad, made a surprisingly good recovery on defense in right field and would be playing regularly in an outfield that is currently without his type of profile.
Yet the Cubs are playing better and are going to need all the offensive help they can get for their own playoff push. Is there really even a match to be made here?
On June 16, 1998, the Detroit Red Wings did something that had not been done in the NHL since the early 1990s. They won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships, and they did it in a way that transcended the sport itself.
The Red Wings dedicated their entire season to Vladimir Konstantinov and Sergei Mnatsakanov, the defenseman and team masseur who had been critically injured in a limousine accident just six days after Detroit's 1997 championship.
Konstantinov, one of the most feared defensive players in the game, was left in a wheelchair with severe brain damage. The tragedy galvanized a locker room that was already among the most talented in the league and gave the entire season a sense of purpose that went far beyond winning hockey games.
The Red Wings finished the regular season with a 44-23-15 record, good for second place in the Western Conference. With Mike Vernon having been traded away following the 1997 title, the Red Wings turned to Chris Osgood in net, a young goaltender who had faced questions about his ability to perform under playoff pressure.
In the first round, Osgood showed some shakiness as the Red Wings needed six games to knock off the Phoenix Coyotes. Detroit steadied themselves in the second round, with Osgood playing stronger as the Wings beat the St. Louis Blues in six games. The Western Conference Finals brought a matchup with the Presidents' Trophy-winning Dallas Stars, and the Wings dispatched Dallas in six games to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the second consecutive season.
Over the course of the postseason, Sergei Fedorov led the team in goals with ten, while Yzerman contributed 18 assists as the engine that kept the machine running. The roster was loaded with future Hall of Famers. Sergei Fedorov, Viacheslav Fetisov, Igor Larionov, Nicklas Lidstrom, Larry Murphy and Brendan Shanahan all suited up for Detroit, coached by the legendary Scotty Bowman.
Waiting in the Final were the Washington Capitals, making their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in franchise history. Detroit won Game 1 by a score of 2-1, took Game 2 in overtime by a score of 5-4, won Game 3 by 2-1 and closed it out with a 4-1 victory in Game 4.
As the Red Wings celebrated on the ice, out of the tunnel came Konstantinov, wheeled onto the ice in his chair by teammate Slava Fetisov. He was back on the ice, draped in his jersey, surrounded by his teammates. Yzerman skated straight to him and without hesitation placed the Cup in Konstantinov's lap.
The image of Konstantinov sitting in his wheelchair with the Stanley Cup in his arms, teammates crowding around him with tears streaming down their faces, became one of the most iconic photographs in the history of the sport.
Steve Yzerman was named playoff MVP and awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, leading all scorers with 24 points throughout the postseason. It was a fitting honor for a captain who carried both his team and the weight of everything the season represented.
The 1997-98 Red Wings were the last team to successfully defend their Stanley Cup title until the Pittsburgh Penguins accomplished the feat in 2017, a testament to just how difficult winning back-to-back championships truly is and how special that Detroit team was.
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We’ve already discussed the good spot the Cubs are in to produce runs.
The Colorado Rockies have a nice matchup of their own against Edward Cabrera. The wheels have completely fallen off after a strong start to the campaign, with the veteran righty conceding at least three runs in eight of his past 10 games.
Windy conditions are also expected to help balls carry, creating a perfect environment for offense.
Play to -125.
Todd Cordell's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 29-26, -4.65 units
Over/Under bets: 29-24-2, +1.94 units
Rockies vs Cubs odds
Moneyline: Rockies +160 | Cubs -190
Run line: Rockies +1.5 (-120) | Cubs -1.5 (+100)
Over/Under: Over 9.5 (-110) | Under 9.5 (-110)
Rockies vs Cubs trend
Colorado has only hit the moneyline in 14 of its last 50 away games (-10.75 units, -22% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Rockies vs. Cubs.
How to watch Rockies vs Cubs and game info
Location
Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
Date
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
First pitch
8:05 p.m. ET
TV
Rockies.TV, Marquee
Rockies starting pitcher
Ryan Feltner (2-2, 5.20 ERA)
Cubs starting pitcher
Edward Cabrera (4-3, 4.86 ERA)
Rockies vs Cubs latest injuries
Rockies vs Cubs weather
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COVERS INTEL: The Cardinals have an impressive 
