Feb 10, 2019; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) looks on during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill...
Fellow NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed this and then some during a July 7 conversation with Stephen A. Smith.
Charania initially said that after checking around the league, he has heard that the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, and the Philadelphia 76ers are the teams that he keeps hearing about as LeBron’s top free agency fits at this point.
LeBron James looks on during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. USA TODAY Sports
“Philadelphia, after they got the Jaylen Brown [trade done]. Philadelphia was not in the picture [before that],” Charania said.
He then spoke about how James didn’t necessarily have a free agency plan in place headed into this offseason because there’s no clear indication about how much money he’ll try to secure.
Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid celebrate during a Philadelphia 76ers game. JASON SZENES/ NY POST
REPORT: LeBron is taking the Sixers “very seriously” after they got Jaylen Brown, per @ShamsCharania
“When I talk to teams now I have a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and then some teams on the peripheral.”
Charania then added, “When the Sixers got Jaylen Brown, I did some research and I found out within 24 hours, [LeBron is] taking their pitch really seriously. So, when I look at it, when I talk to teams now, I have a hierarchy of Cleveland, Miami, Philadelphia, and then some teams on the peripheral.”
The 76ers stand out among these three teams at the top of James’ “hierarchy”, if only because it’s the only franchise among the trio that James hasn’t played with before.
It’s clear that LeBron is looking to compete for another NBA championship before retiring, and the 76ers’ addition of Jaylen Brown to pair with Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe already makes them one of the Eastern Conference’s most talented rosters on paper.
Adding LeBron to that mix would make them even more lethal and probably cement them as favorites in the East.
Of course, things can change very fast in free agency. But Philadelphia has become one of the most compelling teams to watch regarding LeBron.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 03: Tarris Reed Jr. #10 of the San Antonio Spurs looks to pass the ball against the Miami Heat during the second half in the California Classic a NBA Summer League game at Chase Center on July 03, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Going 0-3 in the California Classic is not good… I wouldn’t necessarily call it bad either. Summer League isn’t about wins and losses. It’s about seeing if your contracted young players can stand out, or finding diamonds in the rough in the G League. In Monday’s 88-84 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the San Antonio Spurs got exactly what they needed from their new draftees.
Tarris Reed Jr. and Ja’Kobi Gillespie had their best games of the summer, nearly leading San Antonio to a comeback win. Reed Jr. got a low-post seal, turned his shoulder, and finished through the contact for an and-1 opportunity late in the game, but rimmed out the free throw that would have tied it. Gillespie hit some big threes down the stretch to put the Spurs within striking distance.
It was clear that both of those guys belong on an NBA court in some capacity. That’s about all you can ask from a Summer League squad. Now the team will head to Las Vegas, where Carter Bryant will join the team and almost certainly get to show the Spurs what he’s got in his offensive bag. With an NBA rotation player on his way, the team could find more success when they head to Sin City.
Takeaways:
Reed Jr. showed off the skills that made him a first-round pick. He played incredibly tough on the interior, making some contested shots through contact. He got a few opportunities to back a defender down in the post and use his size to seal defenders and create angles for himself. He made a nice pass to Gillespie on a backdoor cut for a bucket, flashing his playmaking upside. He had one good weakside block, but was overall a step slow rotating to play help defense. His role with the NBA team will likely be to set screens, rebound, and finish around the rim. He’s shown he can do that, finishing with 12 points and 12 rebounds in his second summer game.
Gillespie finally got his shots to fall. He was super active offensively, cutting and relocating all over the place to get open. He finished with 19 points, 6 assists, and 2 steals. What’s most important is that he knocked down 5 of his 9 three-pointers. If Gillespie gets playing time in the NBA this season, it will likely be as a combo guard who can handle, but typically plays off the ball. Hitting threes, as he did on Monday, will be important to providing value in that role.
Emmanuel Miller continues to show flashes, but forces it a bit too often. He had 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals in the loss.
Maliq Brown has been incredible defensively to start the Summer League. He may have one defensive flaw: he leaves his feet a bit too often, jumping for pump fakes.
Pacers rookie Kam Jones questioned his NBA future after he was ordered out of his car at gunpoint following a police chase last year, new body cam footage obtained by The California Post shows.
Jones’ dramatic encounter with Indiana State Police occurred in Indianapolis on Oct. 10, 2025, after he allegedly hit speeds of over 100 mph and then refused to immediately pull over.
Pacers rookie Kam Jones was pulled over in October after he allegedly reached speeds of over 100 mph. Indiana State PoliceJones was adamant he did not mean to evade police officers on purpose. Indiana State Police
Cops were seen in the newly released video training their guns on Jones before they demanded he exit his ride and walk toward them slowly.
When Jones, 24, ultimately complied and was placed in handcuffs, he insisted he was not trying to evade them on purpose.
“I feel very confused right now,” the basketball player said. “Honestly, I saw your right blinker on, so I’m like, ‘Is he trying to get by me?’ So, I was trying to get out your way.”
Jones explained he was driving quickly because he was late for a practice. He was then stunned to learn cops intended to take him to jail over his behavior.
Jones told cops he was driving quickly because he was late for practice. Indiana State Police
“I’m going to jail?” he asked.
“Yeah,” one cop responded. “Reckless driving and resisting law enforcement.”
“I didn’t know you were trying to pull me over, though,” Jones said.
“You could have fooled me,” the officer said.
As police took Jones toward the back of a squad car, a Pacers assistant coach appeared on the scene. However, cops would not let the two communicate and the Indiana staffer drove off moments later.
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Jones played in 37 games for the Pacers this past season. Getty Images
One officer then asked about Jones’ life, and at one point, the cop noticed Jones’ 6-foot-3 frame and wondered if he played point guard or shooting guard.
Jones then somberly said, “I’m about to be nothing no more.”
“Why not?” the cop asked.
“I just didn’t realize I was driving that fast,” Jones said.
Jones was arrested and booked on two charges following his October encounter with Indiana State Police. Marion County Sheriff's Office
Jones was eventually taken to a nearby jail and booked on reckless driving and resisting law enforcement charges. Following his release, he apologized to his team and media members and said the situation was a “mistake that I’ve learned from.”
Prosecutors ended up charging Jones with misdemeanor reckless driving in January, but court records show the count was dismissed in March after Jones entered a pretrial diversion program.
Jones, the No. 38 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, played in 37 games for the Pacers this past season, logging 4.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists per contest.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JULY 01, 2026: Joey Cantillo #54 and Austin Hedges #27 of the Cleveland Guardians celebrate as they walk off the field during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Progressive Field on July 01, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Cole Smith is an interesting signing for the Chicago Blackhawks. He is a forward who brings a physical presence that the Blackhawks have lacked during the Connor Bedard era. Their bottom six is starting to take shape with the addition of Smith.
There are a lot of combinations that could work with a player like this added to the mix, but you'd think some trio including Smith and the newly acquired Jordan Greenway will make up the fourth line.
On Tuesday, Smith met with the Chicago media for the first time, and he had some interesting things to say about his earliest days as a member of the organization.
A lot of his early comments have to do with him coming off a trip to the Stanley Cup Final with the Vegas Golden Knights, and how he can use that experience to help his new young team.
"Being so close, it really drives you. You want to get back there again really badly," Smith said. "I had a little bit of that taste of success in the playoffs. That's something that's going to keep driving me forward to want to get back there."
Being a strong and physical player is what drew the Blackhawks to Smith. They have been easy to play against in recent years, and now they have a handful of players who can help change that narrative.
Smith was a big part of Vegas' fourth line for that reason, and they were a key contributor to the team's overall success.
"There are a lot of good players in the NHL and AHL," Smith said. "Finding a part of your game that will make you stick is very important. I've been able to find that and stay consistent. "That's how I've been able to stick and sign contracts in the NHL."
There was a bit of a personal touch to this conversation for Cole Smith, too, including a chat about his time with the Chicago Wolves. Besides playing against the Blackhawks at the United Center, however, he has never explored the city. He plans on doing that a lot more once he finds a house in town and arrives on a full-time basis.
Smith has mostly signed short-term deals in the NHL up to this point. Three years isn't a huge contract by any means, but he is happy to settle down and have a bit of stability for a while.
In the middle of all this, before coming to Chicago to stay, he and his fiancée are going to get married in Nashville. That will be part of what Smith describes as a "busy" summer that will consist of packing up in both Minnesota and Nashville, along with the aforementioned wedding, before moving it all to Illinois.
Landing an NHL free agent isn't just a team going out and signing a guy. The player has to agree to it. Smith saw things in the organization that helped him believe in the future of the club.
"You can tell they have high-end offense," Smith said of the team on the ice. "They take little plays and put it in the back of the net. You can tell playing against them that they are a young team and susceptible to some things. That young offense is very striking. As far as wanting to sign there, what stood out to me is how much they wanted me to be a part of their group. They made me feel special. They really wanted to get me in on that third or fourth line."
At 30 years old, Cole Smith is far from being "old", but he is much older than most of the group he will share a locker room with. He believes in "leading by example" but admitted that he will say something if it needs to be said, which is exactly the type of veteran presence that the Blackhawks need right now.
It sounds like, for a variety of reasons, Smith is eager to get to Chicago so he can help the Blackhawks take a step in their rebuild. They have sorely missed depth at forward for a long time, and now they have a little more.
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Former Afghanistan fast bowler Shapoor Zadran, who shaped the country’s early rise in international cricket, died on Tuesday after a prolonged illness, the Afghanistan Cricket Board said.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 04: Braxton Ashcraft #35 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates with Paul Skenes #30 after pitching against the Washington Nationals during the sixth inning at Nationals Park on July 4, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It took a few days longer than it should have, but Braxton Ashcraft is an All-Star.
The Pirates’ best starting pitcher in 2026, Ashcraft has burst onto the scene in his first full year as a major leaguer.
In 18 starts, Ashcraft owns a 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, and 122 strikeouts in 108.1 innings.
Ashcraft originally wasn’t voted to the National League All-Star roster, but was named as a replacement for Paul Skenes.
Skenes was the only Pirate initially selected to the Mid-Summer Classic on the other side of the state in Philadelphia.
Ashcraft, 26, owns a 10.14 K/9 and has been one of the biggest surprises of any NL pitcher.
The strong right-hander is fourth in the National League in strikeouts (122), fourth in innings (108.1), 11th in ERA (3.24), and tied for ninth in wins (9-3).
The Pirates are 12-6 in games that Ashcraft starts.
Ashcraft owns two starts this season with 10 or more strikeouts and not allowing a free pass.
He’s allowed two or fewer runs in 14 of his 18 starts. In the midst of an unstable rotation, Ashcraft has been the anchor that Pittsburgh has relied on.
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game will commence on Tuesday, July 14, at 8 p.m. at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 31: Hunter Dobbins #40 of the St. Louis Cardinals pithes against the Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium on May 31, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will play game 2 of their day/night doubleheader Tuesday against the Milwaukee Brewers with Hunter Dobbins getting the start for the birds. The Brew Crew will assign night pitching duties to Robert Gasser who’s 1-3 with a 4.54 ERA. First pitch scheduled for 6:45pm central time with the game broadcast available again on Cardinals.tv.
The Chicago Blackhawks have made multiple new additions to their roster this off-season. Now, they have revealed the numbers for their newcomers.
Blackhawks' top off-season addition Bowen Byram will wear No. 24 for the Blackhawks. This is a change for the 25-year-old blueliner, as he wore No. 4 for both the Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo Sabres. The most recent Blackhawks player to wear No. 24 was Jaycob Megna during the 2023-24 season.
Jordan Greenway, who was also acquired from the Sabres, will wear No. 12 for the Blackhawks. The 6-foot-6 winger wore No. 12 during his time with Buffalo. The most recent player to wear No. 12 for the Blackhawks was Sacha Boisvert, but he will now be switching to No. 90.
Cole Smith will rock No. 22 for the Blackhawks, just like he did with the Vegas Golden Knights last season. Joey Anderson was the most recent player to wear No. 22 for Chicago, as he did during the 2024-25 season.
As for Ian Cole, he will sport No. 28 for the Blackhawks. The last player to wear No. 28 for the Blackhawks was Andre Burakovsky, who was traded to the Ottawa Senators earlier this off-season.
As for exciting prospect Roman Kantserov, he will wear No. 80 for the Blackhawks. The 21-year-old rocked No. 8 for Metallurg Magnitogorsk last season, but that is currently taken on Chicago by Ryan Donato. He will be the second player in Blackhawks history to wear No. 80. The first was Antoine Vermette during the 2014-15 season.
Some athletes are remembered for the numbers they put up. Others are remembered for the championships they helped deliver. Then there are players who become something bigger — the face of a franchise, the person whose story becomes inseparable from the team itself.
Joe Sakic is one of those players.
Born on July 7, 1969, in Burnaby, British Columbia, Sakic’s career was tied to one of the most important transformations in NHL history. From the Quebec Nordiques to the Colorado Avalanche, he experienced nearly every chapter a franchise can go through: the struggles, the relocation, the rise to dominance, and eventually the work of building it all over again as an executive.
For the Avalanche, Sakic was never just a great player. He became the example of what the organization wanted to be.
Selected 15th overall by the Nordiques in the 1987 NHL Draft, Sakic entered the league during a difficult period for the franchise. The Nordiques had endured years near the bottom of the standings, but they had found the player who would eventually become the centerpiece of their turnaround.
The growth didn’t happen overnight.
Sakic developed alongside the team, eventually taking over as captain in 1992 and helping change the culture around the organization. He wasn’t someone who needed to be the loudest person in the room. His leadership showed up in the details — the preparation, the consistency, and the standard he set for everyone around him.
The Nordiques weren’t just looking for wins. They were searching for an identity.
When the franchise moved to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche, Sakic immediately proved why he was the player they had built around.
During the 1995-96 season, he recorded 120 points and helped lead Colorado to the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history. In the postseason, Sakic added 34 points and earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
The Avalanche had arrived, and Sakic was the centerpiece of it.
Five years later, he reached another defining point in his career. During the 2000-01 season, Sakic recorded 118 points, won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, and once again helped guide Colorado to a Stanley Cup championship.
But the image that still stands out from that championship run came after the final victory.
When Sakic received the Stanley Cup, he immediately handed it to Ray Bourque, his teammate who had spent 22 seasons chasing the one championship that had always eluded him with the Boston Bruins. To this day, it probably stands as one of the most iconic, if not the most iconic Cup lifts in the history of the sport.
Even as one of the greatest players of his generation, he understood that hockey was never about one person.
After retiring in 2009, Sakic’s connection to the Avalanche continued — only this time from behind the scenes and cleaner. No more smelly gear, but expensive suits.
He transitioned into the front office and eventually became the architect of Colorado’s next championship team. As general manager, Sakic helped build the roster that captured the 2022 Stanley Cup, the third championship in franchise history.
The season was another historic achievement for Sakic. He was named the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year, recognizing his work in building a team that finally reached the top after years of patience and development.
Very few people in hockey history can claim what Sakic has accomplished. He won championships as a player and then helped construct another championship team as an executive with the same organization.
That is what makes Sakic’s career so special. He was part of every defining era of the franchise, helping establish the standard on the ice before later helping restore it from the front office.
From Quebec to Colorado, his impact has always extended beyond goals, assists, and trophies.
It was about loyalty. It was about leadership. It was about perseverance.
May 27, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob Degrom (48) comes off the field after he pitches against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Losses increase between 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons
Transfer spend and lack of one-off sales account for rise
The combined pre-tax losses of Premier League clubs climbed from £135m in the 2023-24 season to £948m in 2024-25, according to Deloitte’s annual review of football finance.
This rise was attributed by Deloitte to transfer spending and the absence of significant profits from one-off sales. Net debt of Premier League clubs was up to £3.6bn in 2024-25, compared to £3.5bn the season before, Deloitte found.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – Ben Rice and his father have dreamed and talked about it since he was a little kid. On Monday night, it happens for real, on a big league field with his dad on the mound.
The Yankees’ young slugger is in the Home Run Derby and Dan Rice, his father, is coming to throw to him. The elder Rice pitched at Brown in the 1980s and has never really stopped tossing to his son since he was able to hold a bat. On Monday, July 13, it'll just be at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia in front of the whole country instead of in their backyard.
“That was always a lifelong dream of both of ours,” Rice said Tuesday, June 7 before New York took on the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. “So I am really looking forward to it.”
Rice, 27, is a first-time All-Star and a first-time entrant in the derby. He has the credentials, as he has grown into the bat that has kept the Yankees' lineup afloat while Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton are hurt.
That he is the one everyone expected to step up and fill in for Judge and Stanton is an almost dream in and of itself.
The Yankees took him in the 12th round of the 2021 draft, the 363rd pick overall out of Dartmouth. He didn't care about pedigree and crashed the big leagues as a rookie in July 2024 with a three-homer game against the Red Sox, the first Yankees rookie to ever do that. A breakout 2025 followed, and this season, the left-handed hitting first baseman and designated hitter has become one of the most productive bats in the American League.
Going into Tuesday night's game, Rice was hitting .267 with 25 homers, tied for the fifth-most in the majors and third in the American League.
A Yankee has not won the Derby since Judge in 2017 in Miami. Before him, Tino Martinez, Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano took the title. Jazz Chisholm Jr. entered last year but went out in the first round with three home runs.
The blueprint Rice is following worked a year ago. Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh won the 2025 Derby in Atlanta with his father pitching to him and his younger brother behind the plate, becoming the first catcher to win it. The man Raleigh beat in the final, Rays slugger Junior Caminero, is the only other hitter so far committed to the field in Philadelphia next week.
MLB reworked the format for this year, moving away from the timed rounds players griped were too tiring. There are now 20 swings in round one, 15 in round two and 15 in the final.
Rice likes the change not only for his own sake, but for his dad's.
“It also takes some pressure off the BP thrower, because I have to swing at every pitch," he said. "Overall it’s a positive change.”
He has done a version of this before. In his summer college league in 2020, tie games were settled with a home run swing-off.
“I did that three times that year,” Rice said.
He won all three.
That’s about as much preparation Rice is taking into this.
“I haven’t really thought about strategy,” Rice said. “I just kind of want to enjoy it. Have fun taking BP with my dad at a big league field, in front of a bunch of people. It should be cool.”
That experience with his dad was why Rice said yes to this opportunity. It's a chance to share what has been a Cinderella-like big league career with the man that got him started.
His dad’s stuff, by the son’s scouting report, is not quite what it was. Dan Rice had a good curveball “back in the day,” his son said. The family is already reminding him not to throw any breaking balls in the derby and just groove them in for his son.
“He always throws to me in the offseason, still,” Rice said. “So his lifetime pitch count is through the roof at this point. We’ll keep adding to that total on Monday.”
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 4: Jacob Toppin #15 of the Atlanta Hawks handles the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz during a 2026 NBA Salt Lake City Summer League game on July 4, 2026 at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Hawks will be a bit shorthanded to take on Cam Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Location: Jon M. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, UT
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 11: L-R) Merrill Kelly #29, Scott McGough #30 and Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks wait to be introduced prior to Game 3 of the Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
We are now less than a month out from the trade deadline, and the D-backs still find themselves in an awkward position on the edge of the wild-card race. They are neither so far out of it that selling is the only sensible option, nor are they right in the heart of things, where adding pieces would clearly make sense. There are certainly no shortage of obvious ways in which the team could be improved, and that’s what this week’s survey is about. I’m highlighting five particular areas, though two of these are different sides of the same count. I still reckon they are each worth considering separately.
Zac Gallen’s rotation spot
It’s interesting to recall that the D-backs actually made Gallen a qualifying offer last winter. He rejected it, failed to find a buyer in free agency, then came back to Arizona for the same price, with a significant deferral. To be blunt, the D-backs shouldn’t have bothered. Zac’s -1.6 bWAR is the worst of any pitcher in baseball this year, a combination of his bloated ERA (6.36 going into tonight’s start against the Padres) and high usage. Starters with ERAs that high, typically don’t stick around in rotations. His strikeout rate has cratered to just five and a half per nine innings, leaving Zac currently dead-last among qualified starters. Is he fixable?
Merrill Kelly’s rotation spot
On the one hand, Kelly hasn’t been as bad. His ERA of 5.71 is two-thirds of a run below Gallen, and he has shown flashes of his old self. A complete game in Coors Field is no mean feat, certainly. On the other hand, Merrill’s peripherals are worse than Zac’s, with a similar K/9 (5.50), but higher walk and HR rates. Consequently, his FIP is two-thirds of a run higher and his xERA (based on contact quality) is a monstrous 7.80, almost a run and a half worse. Kelly is also under contract for 2027 as well (providing there is a season), and turns 38 in mid-October. If he has hit the aging well, next year could be even more disastrous than this one.
First base
It has been well-recorded that this position has reached historical levels of suck for the 2026 Diamondbacks. First base has posted this line for Arizona, across 359 plate appearances: .214/.256/.310 for an OPS of just .565. That’s sixty-seven points of OPS below any other team in the majors this year. Indeed, it’s the lowest OPS from the position in the last hundred years. The only sides below Arizona in the live-ball era both played in the 1920 season. Nobody has been able to produce there for the Diamondbacks. Ildemaro Vargas’s .633 OPS is the best of anyone with more than a handful of PA at 1B, and he stopped hitting after April.
Designated hitter
Some slack can perhaps be given to first base, since defense is a part of the equation there. The same cannot be said for the DH spot, which is literally all about the offense. It’s in the damn name, f’heavens sake. But Arizona’s DHs are hitting not much better than their 1Bs: .218/.294/.317 for a .611 OPS. Of the five players to have 25+ PA at the spot, everyone bar Ketel Marte has an OPS of .531 or lower. The entire position has hit just five home-runs for Arizona over 331 at-bats – no team in the majors has fewer homers by its designated hitters. Frankly, I’d almost rather see our pitchers try to hit, the results have been that feeble.
Center field
This one seems to have slid through the cracks a bit. But as at first-base, the D-backs rank dead last in the majors by OPS at the spot. Arizona’s CFs are batting below the Uecker Line at .198, the three (3) home-runs aren’t helping, and a K:BB ratio of 90:21 also factors into the .574 OPS. If not as “once in a century” historically bad as first – you only have to go back two years to find the Cardinals getting a .570 OPS from the center fielders – it’s an area where the team has clearly struggled. The youth movement Arizona has tried there, with almost every game this season started by someone no older then 25, is clearly not a success to the current point.
So, there’s your options. But if you had a One Wish Willow, and could address just a single of the above issues, which one would you consider the biggest? That’s what the poll below is for, and as ever, explain your choice in the comments for a shot at inclusion in the results post on Saturday!
