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A closer look at the Hall of Fame chances for 8 current, former Phillies

A closer look at the Hall of Fame chances for 8 current, former Phillies originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

This year’s class for the National Baseball Hall of Fame was a fulfilling one for Phillies fans. Beloved slugger Dick Allen, one of the best hitters in the Era of the Pitcher, was finally voted in posthumously, and Billy Wagner became one of the few closers to make it to the Hall.

There haven’t been many players who played a majority of their careers in Philadelphia in Cooperstown. In fact, before Allen, you have to go all the way back to Richie Ashburn’s induction in 1995. Such is the existence for the losingest franchise ever.

However, in the more recent history of the Phillies, and the current roster, there are several players who have Hall of Fame possibilities. And in the wake of Hall of Fame weekend, and as he head toward Phillies Wall of Fame and Alumni festivities this weekend, it’s a fine time to examine eight current and former Phils and Hall of Fame chances.

Bobby Abreu

Abreu definitely produced offensively during his career. Seven seasons with 40-plus doubles, nearly 2,500 hits, 400 stolen bases, 1,453 runs scored, and a lifetime OPS of .870. His problem is that he was never among the best for multiple seasons running. The Hall is reserved for the best of the best. Abreu played 18 seasons, but he was named to just two All-Star teams. One Silver Slugger, one Gold Glove, zero top-10 finishes in MVP voting. The cumulative numbers look good, but when you put them up against fellow players, they just don’t measure up. He appeared on 19.5% of Hall of Fame ballots in 2025, his 6th year of eligibility.

Hall Watch (out of 5 stars): 1.5 stars

Cole Hamels

Hamels has an interesting argument. 163 career wins doesn’t sound like a Hall of Fame number, but from the start of his career in 2006 to 2018, he has 156 wins, which ranks 7th in baseball, just behind Max Scherzer (159) and Felix Hernandez (164), and third in Ks behind Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

He was named to four All-Star teams, finished in the top-10 in Cy Young Voting four times, and we all remember how unhittable he was during the 2008 playoffs. Coming up big in the postseason carries some extra weight. But in the end, I’m not sure he separated himself enough. 2026 is his first year on the ballot, the returns should be interesting.

Hall Watch: 2 stars

Bryce Harper

Where do you start when listing the accolades for Harper? Two MVP awards, 8 All-Star games, four Silver Sluggers, 351 home runs… and he’s three months shy of 33 years old! He has hit 767 extra-base hits in his career to date. That ranks 24th of all players prior to their 33rd birthday. More than Barry Bonds, more than Ted Williams, more than Mike Trout.

34 players have won two or more MVPs; 23 of the other 28 eligible players are in the Hall of Fame. The outliers? Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, Roger Maris, and Dale Murphy. Harper already has more career home runs than Maris, and is 47 shy of Murphy. I shouldn’t have to explain the other three.

Harper has been in the harsh media spotlight since well before his MLB career began, and he has excelled throughout. All that’s really missing from his career to this point is a World Series ring.

Hall Watch: 4.5 stars

Ryan Howard

From 2006-to-2011, Howard was a player you could describe as an SWYD All-Star: when he’s up to bat, Stop What You’re Doing. Homework, dinner, taking out the trash, it can wait. Howard’s up. And often, he rewarded your patience. He was the most feared power hitter in the game during that span, averaging – averaging! – 43.7 homers and 132.7 RBI over that 6-year romp. For context, in the last 105 seasons, only seven players aside from Howard had THREE seasons with 43 HR and 132 RBI. Ruth, Sosa, Gehrig, Griffey, A-Rod, Manny Ramirez, and Jimmy Foxx.

Howard won the 2006 NL MVP, then finished fifth, second, third, tenth, and tenth again in MVP voting. The issue with Howard’s unreal run is that, frankly, that was it. He tore his Achilles to end the 2011 NLDS against the Cardinals, and never fully got back to super status. Many players have shooting-star careers like Howard, very few of them shine so brightly during their meteoric flight to alert Hall voters.

Sandy Koufax’s best seasons were the final five of his career, and in those five seasons, he was untouchable. 3 Cy Youngs, an MVP, and two World Series titles. The best pitcher in the game, during the Era of the Pitcher. Outside of those seasons, however, he was a below-average pitcher for eight seasons. But what he did at his best superseded all of that mediocrity.

While Howard’s best was great, it wasn’t great for long enough.

Hall Watch: 2.5 stars

Jimmy Rollins

On to another cornerstone from the 2008 roster, and the player that ignited the team whenever it seemed they needed it. The Phillies hit king (2,306 of his 2,455 career knocks) has 500+ doubles and 400+ stolen bases, one of 12 players all-time to reach those milestones. Nine of them are in Cooperstown. Four Gold Gloves, and the 2007 NL MVP, a season he put the team on his back down the stretch.

But J-Roll made just three All-Star teams. One Silver Slugger. For his career, his OPS+ was 95, which is below league average for his position. Rollins’ career, while made up for several great Moments, didn’t have many great seasons.

Hall Watch: 2 stars

Kyle Schwarber

Before signing with the Phillies prior to the 2022 season, Schwarber wasn’t a player you’d consider as anything approaching a Hall-of-Famer. But the last three-plus seasons have been a reinvention for the slugger. To count how many players with more homers than Schwarber’s had as a Phillie (168) since the start  of 2022, you’d need just two fingers: Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. He has nearly reached SWYD status.

This blistering run has more than doubled his career home run total to 321 and counting. At the age of 32, his next 4-5 seasons will go a long way toward determining his candidacy for the Hall. Currently with just three All-Star nods and a Silver Slugger, a career home run figure would likely need to be in the high 400s for Cooperstown to come calling.

Hall Watch: 3 stars (with a bullet)

Chase Utley

Utley was arm-in-arm with Howard during the Phillies’ Golden Era of 2007-2011, and, you could argue, was more valuable overall than The Big Piece. His bWAR in that span (34.7) was second only to Albert Pujols. He always gave it his all, and was a fan favorite as a result.

But he was sorely lacking in one area during those years, and several others in his career: availability. Utley’s hair-on-fire playing style took a severe toll on him, and just as an example, he missed 145 games from 2007-2011. That’s nearly an entire season sitting out.

Also similar to Howard, his injuries caused his late-career production to suffer greatly. From 2009 until his final season of 2018, he topped 140 games in a season just once. Had his knees not betrayed him, who knows? So far, the Hall of voters have given him some love (39.8% in 2025), but he has a ways to go.

Hall Watch: 3.5 Stars

Zack Wheeler

The final candidate here could reap the benefits of voters changing their calculus on what determines Cooperstown worthiness for career starting pitchers.

Wheeler, 35, stands at 112 career wins. But in this era of starters going just 5-6 innings, bullpens notoriously blow what could have been several sure wins for the starter. The 3-time All-Star, like Schwarber, is another player whose career has undergone a resurgent second act in his Phillies Era.

Here are his ranks among Starters (min. 125 GS) since the start of the 2021 season:

  • 2.89 ERA (1st)
  • WHIP (1st)
  • 64 wins (T-2nd)
  • 1,018 strikeouts (2nd)
  • .601 opponents’ OPS (2nd)
  • .211 opponents’ average (3rd)

The one thing noticeably lacking from his resume is a Cy Young, and he has been mind-numbingly close, finishing second to Corbin Burnes in 2021 and Chris Sale last season. (Can someone kidnap Paul Skenes for a couple weeks?)

Wheeler has said on the record that he will play until his current Phillies contract expires, at the end of the ’27 season. If healthy, he could earn another 25-30 wins. Could 150 career wins be a magic number? 140? We shall see.

Hall Watch: 3.5 Stars

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Star attractions absent as scheduling stymies blockbuster Test finale

With England looking to win the series and India still able to share the spoils, the loss of three headliners at the Oval is suboptimal

Much like the Dude in the Big Lebowski during his various moments of confusion, it was impossible not to repeatedly blink upon seeing England’s XI for the fifth and final Test against India that starts on Thursday. Four changes, including the loss of Ben Stokes and Ollie Pope’s return to the captaincy, took a few moments to process.

“I don’t want to eat my words but the likelihood I won’t play is very unlikely,” said Stokes after the stalemate at Old Trafford. While that quote needed scanning a few times, so did the gnarly right shoulder he was seen prodding and poking during what was a chastening failure to claim an unassailable 3-1 series lead. A grade-three tear to “a muscle I can’t pronounce” was the upshot, Stokes confirmed on Wednesday, and his summer is now frustratingly over.

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Former Panthers Defenseman Coming Out Of Retirement To Play In Finland

Florida Panthers defenseman Markus Nutivaara (65) in action during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Florida Panthers at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Former Florida Panthers defenseman Markus Nutivaara is coming out of retirement and joining Karpat, a Finnish team in Liiga.

The 31-year-old's last professional hockey game came with the Panthers during the 2021-22 season, where he recorded one assist in one game. He signed with the San Jose Sharks the following year, but did not play in any games. He remained unsigned for the next two seasons but has decided to return to hockey, joining Karpat, a team with which he has played at several levels.

Nutivaara worked his way through the Finnish ranks playing with Karpat at the U-16, U-18 and U-20 level before joining their professional team, winning a championship.

The Oulu, FIN. native was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the seventh round (189th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season, scoring two goals and seven points in 66 games. 

In 2018, Nutivaara signed a four-year, $10.8 million ($2.7 million annually) contract with the Blue Jackets but was acquired by the Panthers less than two years later. He played in 30 games during the 2020-21 season, notching 10 assists. The final year of his contract saw him receive just one game of NHL action before signing a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Sharks, but he did not play any NHL or AHL games with the franchise. 

Now, Nutivaara will join a Karpat side, which features several NHL prospects and former NHL players. 

Niko Mikkola Put The NHL On Notice During The Playoffs, But His Value To The Panthers Remains UnderratedNiko Mikkola Put The NHL On Notice During The Playoffs, But His Value To The Panthers Remains UnderratedNiko Mikkola has played a crucial role in the Florida Panthers' recent success, putting the league on notice during the playoffs, yet his value to the organization can still be considered underrated. 
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What we learned as Giants' losing streak hits six with Pirates completing sweep

What we learned as Giants' losing streak hits six with Pirates completing sweep originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – Buster Posey’s plan at his first MLB trade deadline as the Giants’ president of baseball operations was revealed in the middle of Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 10 innings when he dealt former teammate Tyler Rogers to the New York Mets in exchange for three players. 

The reliever had been the heart of the bullpen since making his MLB debut in 2019. But Posey was put in a bind with the way the Giants had been playing as of late.

A fielder’s choice where the ghost runner to start the inning scored from third base was the Giants’ demise this time, handing them their sixth straight loss while getting swept by the last-place Pirates. The Giants (54-55) now are below .500 for the first time this season.

Logan Webb’s recent struggles were wiped away, keeping Pirates hitters off-balance and racking up strikeouts. The only trouble Webb ran into was the fifth inning when he allowed his only run of the day. Webb finished with 11 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings, walking four and giving up five hits. 

As it often happens, Webb didn’t receive the help he needed or deserved. Now, more moves and more hugs for teammates could be in store for the Giants ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

Here are three takeaways from the Giants’ loss to end an ugly 0-6 homestand.

Webb’s Gem

July hadn’t been kind to the Giants’ staff ace. Webb allowed six earned runs in his previous start and came into Wednesday with a 7.36 ERA for the month. He saved his best for last, doing all he could to get the reeling Giants out of a rut.

When Oneil Cruz tossed his bat and helmet in disgust after looking silly striking out on a Webb changeup to end the top of the first inning, it was clear what kind of day it was going to be for the Giants’ All-Star, as well as the Pirates’ offense. Webb struck out eight batters through the first three innings after having only five strikeouts in his previous two starts.

He was up to 10 strikeouts after four innings, but finally ran into trouble in the fifth, right after the Giants’ bats came to play. The Pirates began the fifth with back-to-back hard hits to the outfield, giving them their third and fourth hits of the day, as well as their first run. But Webb avoided real trouble when he snagged a grounder right at him with the bases loaded, got the out at home and pumped his fist at catcher Patrick Bailey throwing out Nick Gonzales at first base for a double play to end the inning.

Webb was pulled with two outs in the sixth inning and a runner at second base after throwing a season-high 109 pitches. His 11 strikeouts fell one short of his career high. 

Not Enough Help

While Webb was dealing, the Giants’ offense continued to struggle the first time through the order. San Francisco was hitless in the first three innings, going nine up and nine down. Dating back to the last out of the fourth inning in Tuesday night’s loss, 25 consecutive Giants had been retired. 

Leadoff hitter Heliot Ramos put an end to that to begin the bottom half of the fourth inning, smacking a sharp line drive to left field. The flood gates slightly cracked, and the Giants took advantage. Willy Adames continued his red-hot July with a hard-hit liner of his own to left, and Dominic Smith scored Ramos on a ground ball to right field.

But the Giants then went ice-cold at the plate. Half of their six hits came in the fourth inning, and they didn’t score again. They didn’t have another hit until Mike Yastrzemski’s drag bunt in the eighth inning. The Giants had 11 hits in the first game of the series, and then just eight in the next two games combined. 

The Struggle Is Real 

Timing is everything, and Rafael Devers had the perfect opportunity to shift the Giants’ thinking at the trade deadline just as they began selling. With Yastrzemski 90 feet away at third base and the score tied 1-1, Devers could have ended his hitless streak and played hero in front of the home fans. He instead flew out to left field, stranding Yastrzemski at third. 

Devers now is hitless in his last 17 at-bats. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Wednesday, finishing the Giants’ three-game series against the Pirates 0-for-10 with four strikeouts. His dip at the plate extends further than a three-game series. 

The slugger was batting .272 with a .905 OPS when the Giants acquired him from the Boston Red Sox. Devers finished July hitting .230 for the month (20-for-87) and is batting .216 (40-for-185) since June 1.

Yes, the trade deadline is Thursday. And yes, there still are two months of the regular season left. Devers will have to figure something out at the plate if the Giants have any chance of turning things around.

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Andrew Vaughn emerges as one of league’s hottest hitters with Brewers after slumping with White Sox

MILWAUKEE — When Andrew Vaughn joined the Milwaukee Brewers with a chance to rejuvenate a career that had gone sideways, the message he received from his new team was simple.

If you chase, you won’t play.

Vaughn took that advice to heart, and suddenly the guy who was batting well below .200 for the first two months of the season is one of baseball’s hottest hitters.

His remarkable turnaround produced its biggest highlight yet as Vaughn hit a grand slam and had a career-high six RBIs in the Brewers’ 9-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Vaughn’s performance helped the Brewers extend their NL Central lead over Chicago to two games.

“It’s a special group here right now,” said Vaughn, who went 3 for 4. “We’re playing really good baseball. It’s fun to be a part of.”

Vaughn, 27, is batting .375 with a .439 on-base percentage, .771 slugging percentage, five homers and 21 RBIs in 15 games since joining the Brewers on July 7. The only player in the major leagues with more RBIs during that stretch is Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber.

“It’s been awesome,” teammate Jackson Chourio said through an interpreter. “The way he’s been able to help us out has just been spectacular. It’s just been inspiring to watch.”

Vaughn’s surge is particularly notable because he was struggling as much as just about any hitter in the game for much of the season.

After hitting a combined 72 homers for the Chicago White Sox from 2021-24, Vaughn batted just .189 with a .218 on-base percentage, five homers and 19 RBIs in 48 games before he got sent down to the minors.

Vaughn was still playing with Triple-A Charlotte when the Brewers acquired him in a June 13 trade that sent Aaron Civale to Chicago. The Brewers initially assigned Vaughn to their Triple-A team in Nashville, but they called him up when a thumb sprain sent first baseman Rhys Hoskins to the injured list.

Little did the Brewers know the guy they’d picked up from the minors would get on this kind of heater.

“The kid’s been unbelievable,” manager Pat Murphy said.

Murphy noted that Vaughn is swinging at the right pitches now. Vaughn concedes that wasn’t the case earlier when he was with the White Sox.

“Early in the year, I was hitting the ball hard, maybe swinging at some bad pitches,” Vaughn said. “Just trying to hone in on that, focus on getting my pitch to hit.”

Vaughn certainly found the right offering when he sent the first pitch he saw from Ryan Pressly over the left-field wall for his second career grand slam. Vaughn also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the second and hit an RBI single in the fifth.

He has gone 8 of 15 over his last four games while helping the Brewers overcome their injury issues at first base. Jake Bauers joined Hoskins on the injured list July 20 with a left shoulder issue.

Yet the Brewers have kept on winning with Vaughn taking over at first.

Vaughn’s transformation at the plate is similar to the turnaround he’s encountered in the standings. After playing for last-place White Sox teams, he savors the opportunity to have a major role on a Brewers squad that has the best record in the majors.

“Winning’s fun, and we’ve been doing it a lot,” Vaughn said. “We want to keep it going.”

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Kings reportedly won't include two players in Jonathan Kuminga Warriors deal

Kings reportedly won't include two players in Jonathan Kuminga Warriors deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings and Warriors haven’t budged regarding a potential sign-and-trade deal that would send Golden State forward Jonathan Kuminga to Sacramento — a deal would’ve been done by now.

And the Kings appear to be standing even taller as of Wednesday.

Sacramento is telling Golden State that forward Keegan Murray and guard Keon Ellis, both fan favorites in California’s capital city, are off limits in trade discussions, the Sacramento Bee’s Jason Anderson reported Wednesday, citing a league source.

“The Sacramento Kings have not given up in their pursuit of a sign-and-trade deal for Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga,” Anderson prefaced.

“The Warriors would probably be quick to pull the trigger on a deal involving Keegan Murray or Keon Ellis. However, a source with knowledge of trade conversations told The Sacramento Bee that Murray and Ellis have not been discussed, and both are considered off limits in talks for Kuminga.”

It makes sense for the Kings to be cautious.

Kuminga will bring an element of surprise to whatever team he ends up with during the 2025-26 NBA season. At 22, Kuminga’s potential is undoubtedly high, and he enters his fifth campaign having averaged 15.3 points on 45.4-percent shooting with 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists over 47 regular-season games in 2024-25. 

But his career 33.2-percent clip on 3-point shots is a major concern to any team prioritizing floor spacing.

“Kuminga wants a fresh start with a new team, and the Warriors have given him reason to question their commitment to him,” Anderson wrote. “He likes the opportunity the Kings have presented, but the Warriors seem unwilling to accept a package featuring Devin Carter, Dario Saric and draft compensation, which could be a protected first-round pick or multiple second-round picks.”

Sacramento knows what it has with Murray and Ellis; the former is a promising, well-rounded forward himself, and the latter arguably the anchor of the Kings’ defense.

As Anderson wrote, first-year general manager Scott Perry and the Kings aren’t giving up on attempting to bring Kuminga north. It is, though, unknown which franchise benefits from the saga dragging out.

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Yankees acquire OF Austin Slater in trade with White Sox

With Aaron Judge on the 10-day IL, the Yankees have made a move to improve their outfield depth, trading for White Sox outfielder Austin Slater, per SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino.

In exchange, the Yankees are sending right-handed pitching prospect Gage Ziehl to Chicago. Ziehl, a fourth-round pick in 2024, was ranked as the Yankees' No. 18 prospect according to MLB Pipeline. He has pitched to a 4.15 ERA this season across three levels of the Yankees' system, topping out at Double-A Somerset.

Slater, 32, can play all three outfield positions and hits lefties well, slashing .270/.362/.436 with 30 homers in 1,006 plate appearances, including a .522 slugging percentage against lefties this season.

A nine-year pro, Slater -- who is set to be a free agent at the end of this year -- spent his first seven-and-a-half seasons with the San Francisco Giants, and he's also spent some time with the Reds and Orioles.

General manager Brian Cashman continues to add, with the club recently acquiring third baseman Ryan McMahon and infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario. Per Martino, the Yankees are still working on acquiring relievers ahead of Thursday's 6 p.m. deadline.

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Shohei Ohtani strikes out in his first 4 plate appearances, a rare first

CINCINNATI — Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani had another first in his MLB career.

Ohtani struck out in his first four plate appearances against the Cincinnati Reds, the first time he has done that in his eight seasons and 981 games in the majors.

Against the Seattle Mariners on July 17, 2021, while playing for the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani popped up to the shortstop in his first at-bat and then struck out in his next four times at the plate.

Despite Ohtani’s tough night at the plate, the Dodgers rallied for a 5-4 victory on an RBI double by Will Smith in the ninth inning.

“Tonight, I just don’t think he saw (Cincinnati starter Nick) Lodolo well at all, clearly. And I think he just got into swing mode,” manager Dave Roberts said. “When he’s (at his) best, he’s getting the baseball up, and he’s using the big part of the field. And especially in this ballpark where he doesn’t need to go to right field. But tonight, just one of those nights that he just couldn’t help him help himself from swinging.”

Ohtani came into the game on a nine-game hitting streak, where he had gone 11 for 36 with six home runs 13 RBIs and nine runs scored.

It is the sixth time the Japanese superstar and reigning NL MVP has struck out four times in a game. It is the second time this season, with the other coming against San Diego on June 17.

Lodolo became the 13th pitcher to strike out Ohtani three times in a game. The Reds left-hander got Ohtani to chase a curveball out of the strike zone in the first and fifth innings, and got him looking on a 94.6 mph fastball in the third.

“I was going right after him. I definitely threw some good heaters in some good spots and I was able to spin the ball well too as well,” Lodolo said.

Graham Ashcraft then whiffed Ohtani on an inside slider in the seventh.

Ohtani was one strike away from his first five strikeout game before he flew out to right field on a 2-2 count in the ninth inning of a 4-4 game. Smith was the next batter and delivered the game-winning hit.

Ohtani still leads the majors with 100 runs scored. He is atop the NL in slugging (.612), total bases (254), OPS (.989) and 38 home runs.

Roberts hopes Ohtani is more disciplined at the plate in the series finale because Nick Martinez is the same type of pitcher as Lodolo.

“Martinez is gonna be nibbling, and it’s going to be cutter and changeup down below. And he’s got to get back to the big part of the field and not chase down below,” Roberts said.

Ohtani also will be making his seventh pitching start of the season as the Dodgers look for him to go four innings as he comes back from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow in 2023. Ohtani is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA.

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Emotions run high, as 4 Angels batters are hit by pitches in 8-5 win over Rangers

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The benches cleared in the eighth inning of the Los Angeles Angels’ 8-5 win over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, and even though no punches were thrown, emotions ran high after the game.

Rangers reliever Shawn Armstrong hit Zach Neto and Mike Trout with consecutive pitches to load the bases, prompting Angels interim manager Ray Montgomery to walk toward the plate, wave his arms and yell at Texas manager Bruce Bochy.

“I just heard the yelling, and that was enough,” Bochy said. “(Hitting guys intentionally) was the last thing (we were trying to do). I brought Armstrong in to keep them from scoring a run. But I guess we hit somebody, and it’s intentional, but when they hit (Rangers shortstop Corey) Seager, it’s not. I just thought that was enough.”

Montgomery said his outburst was fueled in part by Neto being hit by Patrick Corbin in the first inning and Luis Rengifo being hit by Caleb Boushley in the seventh, but he did not accuse the Rangers of purposely throwing at the Angels.

“You hit our second baseman, our shortstop (twice) and then Mike (Trout) — the only thing I said was, ‘How many times are you going to hit a guy?’ ” Montgomery said. “I wasn’t insinuating that they were intentionally doing it, by any means.

“When that happens, everybody’s angry in the moment. I was just frustrated that our guys were getting hit, and I wanted him to command the ball a little bit better.”

The Angels appreciated the fight their manager showed.

“I think the boys loved it — he’s sticking up for his guys,” Trout said. “I’ve been saying it since day one. We have a tight group here, we play for each other.”

The Angels trailed 4-3 in the sixth inning when they rallied for four two-out runs, Gustavo Campero hit an RBI double for a 4-all tie, Yoán Moncada lined a pinch-hit, two-run single to right for a 6-4 lead and Neto added an RBI double for a 7-4 lead.

The Angels were outhit 14-6 but still found a way to win for the fourth time in five games, improve to 53-55 and move to within four games of an AL wild-card spot ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Texas (56-52) is one game out of the playoff picture.

Veteran closer Kenley Jansen, the subject of trade rumors while the Angels determine whether they will add players or shed players before the deadline, threw a scoreless ninth for his 20th save, extending his consecutive scoreless streak to 17 games.

“I still believe in this team, man,” Jansen said of the Angels, who are trying to snap a 10-year playoff drought. “It’s up to the front office to determine what direction they go, but if they can figure out how we can improve, we have an offense that can win ballgames. I like this group of guys. I want to be a part of turning this franchise around.”

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NHL Division Odds Breakdown: Panthers, Hurricanes, and Golden Knights Lead the Pack

Sportsbooks release betting odds for NHL divisional races for 2025-26 season. 

As the new NHL season approaches, we get fresh betting odds from the sportsbooks on who will finish a top each of the divisions next season. While perennial contenders still hold the edge in most divisions, there are a few surprises that could make for some intriguing bets. We see some interesting values on rising teams and some steals for likely contenders.  Here’s a breakdown of the current odds across all four divisions.

Atlantic Division

  • Florida Panthers (+135)
  • Tampa Bay Lightning (+350)
  • Toronto Maple Leafs (+390)
  • Ottawa Senators (+750)
  • Montreal Canadiens (+1500)
  • Detroit Red Wings (+3100)
  • Boston Bruins (+3500)
  • Buffalo Sabres (+5000)

Without question, the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions lead the way with two division titles of the last four years. It's always a tightly contested battle as there is always one team having a breakout season like last season's winners in the Maple Leafs. Toronto likely won't win again as there has not been a repeat champion in six seasons but the Bolts will be in the picture once again plus the Senators, Habs and Red Wings have all been on the rise in recent years. Will it be enough to catch up to the Panthers or will they take control over the league once again? Florida has the fifth-hardest schedule next season but it likely still won't slow down this moving train that hasn't stopped for anyone in two years.

Pick: Florida Panthers (+135)

Former Teammates, New Rivals: Marner vs. Matthews Prop Bet Heats Up DebateFormer Teammates, New Rivals: Marner vs. Matthews Prop Bet Heats Up DebateSportsbooks reveal head-to-head prop bet between former teammates in Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.

Metropolitan Division

  • Carolina Hurricanes (+120)
  • New Jersey Devils (+370)
  • New York Rangers (+550)
  • Washington Capitals (+650)
  • New York Islanders (+1800)
  • Columbus Blue Jackets (+2100)
  • Philadelphia Flyers (+2200)
  • Pittsburgh Penguins (+8000)

The Hurricanes are the clear frontrunners in the Metropolitan, powered by even more blockbuster adds in Nikolaj Ehlers and K'Andre Miller plus will see another year of development for their elite young talent in Jackson Blake and Alexander Nikishin among others.

This division feels the most like a one horse race as the Devils are coming off a season where they missed the playoffs due to an injured roster, the Rangers made little changes despite their troubling season last year and the Capitals are expected to fall back to normalcy following a near-President's trophy winning season. The Canes will look to win their division for the third time in the last five years. 

Pick: Carolina Hurricanes (+120)

Pacific Division

  • Edmonton Oilers (+155)
  • Vegas Golden Knights (+155)
  • Los Angeles Kings (+470)
  • Vancouver Canucks (+1500)
  • Calgary Flames (+2900)
  • Anaheim Ducks (+5500)
  • Seattle Kraken (+6000)
  • San Jose Sharks (+21000)

The battle between the Oilers and Golden Knights will be an elite one as the back-to-back conference champions have still never won the divisional crown. They will be attempting to do so against a Golden Knights team that has only gotten stronger with the addition of a 100-point player in Mitch Marner. 

The two clubs will also be looking to stave off threats like the Kings or the rising Ducks that could put together a solid push. The most likely outcome is another Golden Knights division title, marking fifth over the last nine years as the Oilers have made more horizontal moves to stay competitive rather than propelling moves like the Golden Knights have seemingly made. 

Pick: Vegas Golden Knights (+155)

Oilers' Howard, Blues' Snuggerud Present Closest Competition to Demidov For CalderOilers' Howard, Blues' Snuggerud Present Closest Competition to Demidov For CalderRookies Isaac Howard and Jimmy Snuggerud appear to be best cases behind Montreal's Ivan Demidov for 2026 Calder trophy

Central Division

  • Dallas Stars (+200)
  • Colorado Avalanche (+200)
  • Winnipeg Jets (+600)
  • Minnesota Wild (+900)
  • Utah Mammoth (+1000)
  • St. Louis Blues (+1300)
  • Nashville Predators (+2600)
  • Chicago Blackhawks (+23000)

The tightest division in the league is the Central as they routinely produce contenders out of the West and will make for another hard-fought war to win the divisional crown. This is the only division with co-favorites in Dallas and Colorado, both sitting at +200 as two of the most complete teams in the conference. The reigning President's trophy winners in Winnipeg will look to repeat as divisional champs while the Blues look to build off a solid campaign last season and the Mammoth look to finally make some noise thanks to their aggressive management and ownership group. 

It'll be hard to overcome the Jets once again as they've kept all of their same defence core that has helped give them the best defence in the league for two straight seasons plus replaced the loss of a key player in Nikolaj Ehlers with another former 70-point scorer in Gustav Nyquist. 

Pick: Winnipeg Jets (+600)

Will There Be a First-Time Stanley Cup Champion in 2026?Will There Be a First-Time Stanley Cup Champion in 2026?Breaking down the chances of a team to win the Stanley Cup for the first time during the 2025-26 season.
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Watch Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski make incredible leaping catch into net

Watch Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski make incredible leaping catch into net originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Mike Yastrzemski is one of the greatest Giants outfielders ever to patrol right field at Oracle Park, and he proved that once again during Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

With no outs in the eighth inning of a 1-1 ballgame, Yastrzemski ran what seemed like a mile, leapt into foul territory and into the net to catch a fly ball hit by Pirates outfielder Jack Suwinski.

Yastrzemski put his body on the line — especially poignant considering his comments about Victor Robles earlier in the 2025 MLB season, when the Seattle Mariners outfielder injured his shoulder on a similar play at Oracle Park.

“That was incredible,” Yastrzemski told reporters after that game in April. “It’s one of the best outfield plays I’ve ever seen in my life. Obviously hope that nothing went too wrong and he’s able to bounce back quick, but man, what an unbelievable effort and commitment to his team that says a lot about his character. That’s incredible to see.”

On Wednesday, Yastrzemski made his own incredible play.

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Ranking All 32 NHL Teams' Active Goals Leader

Becoming an NHL franchise’s active leader in goal-scoring often takes a ton of talent, consistency, loyalty and longevity.

Of course, the bar isn’t as high for rebuilding or recently rebuilt squads. We’re seeing young talent forge a new path toward Stanley Cup contention. The same low bar goes for the newest NHL franchises, although enough time has passed for some of them that their all-time goals leader doesn’t play for the team anymore – or hasn’t been active for years.

In fact, only six NHL franchises have one of their active players leading their all-time goals list.

Here are the active goals leaders for all 32 NHL teams, ranked from the most to the fewest goals. If a player is active in the NHL but doesn’t play for that team, they don’t count. It’s no surprise who sits in first.

1. Washington Capitals

Alex Ovechkin, 897

The Capitals’ captain broke the NHL’s all-time regular-season goals record in April and scored twice more to inch closer to the 900-goal mark. Ovechkin’s just 43 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record for the most in the regular season and playoffs combined, but he has one year left on his contract.

Alex Ovechkin (Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

2. Pittsburgh Penguins

Sidney Crosby, 625

Crosby’s two-year contract extension kicks in this upcoming season. The captain’s 66 goals away from the Penguins’ all-time goals record set by No. 66, Mario Lemieux. It can be done.

3. Los Angeles Kings

Anze Kopitar, 440

Kopitar is the Kings’ all-time games played leader by a long shot, with 1,454 in the regular season. He’s 110 goals behind Marcel Dionne for second place on the franchise’s goal-scoring list and 117 behind Luc Robitaille.

4. Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews, 401

Matthews averages 0.64 goals per game, which is the seventh highest in NHL history among players who scored at least 100 times in their career. Ovechkin’s rate is 0.60, but he’s also played more than double the number of seasons. Nevertheless, the chase is on for the Maple Leafs’ captain.

T5. Dallas Stars

Jamie Benn, 399

One of the NHL’s final four players who don’t wear a visor could become the 111th player in NHL history to score 400 goals in the regular season. Take away the 123 goals Mike Modano scored with the Minnesota North Stars, and Benn is only 36 goals away from passing him for the most in Dallas Stars history.

T5. Edmonton Oilers

Leon Draisaitl, 399

Draisaitl and McDavid both average 0.51 goals per game, but the former has played 78 more games. Draisaitl won the ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy for the most goals in 2024-25, and he also scored the most important goals in the NHL during the regular season, according to Ken Campbell’s Situational Scoring model. 

7. Boston Bruins

David Pastrnak, 391

The Bruins have been around for more than 100 years, and Pastrnak is only 155 goals away from passing Johnny Bucyk and leading the franchise in goal-scoring. I say “only,” because he’s just 29, and he’s scored 151 goals in the past three seasons.

8. Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon, 367

MacKinnon can reach second place on the Nordiques-Avalanche’s all-time assists and points lists in 2025-26. He’s fifth in goal-scoring, and he trails Joe Sakic by 258. In just Avalanche history, MacKinnon is tied with Sakic for first in points with 1,015, sits first in assists 648 and trails Sakic by 24 in goals.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning

Nikita Kucherov, 357

Kucherov leads the Lightning in all-time assists, with 637, but he’s fourth in goals and needs 199 to pass Steven Stamkos for first place. At 32 years old and with a career high of 44 goals, Kucherov could have to play the rest of his NHL career in Tampa Bay to break that record.

10. Winnipeg Jets

Mark Scheifele, 336

Scheifele has the most goals in Atlanta Thrashers and Jets 2.0 history. Jets 1.0 history belongs to the inactive Arizona Coyotes, but if we were to include it here, Dale Hawerchuk would have the most goals, with 379.

11. San Jose Sharks

Logan Couture, 323

The Sharks’ captain hasn’t played since January 2024 and announced this past April that he’s stepping away from professional hockey due to injury, but he has two more years left on his contract. Aside from Couture, the next-highest all-time active scorer on the rebuilding Sharks is William Eklund, who has 35.

12. Nashville Predators

Filip Forsberg, 318

Forsberg already has 118 more goals than the man in second place on the Predators’ franchise goal-scoring list, David Legwand, who scored 210. Nashville acquired Forsberg from the Capitals in exchange for Martin Erat and Michael Latta in 2013.

13. New York Islanders

Anders Lee, 289

After the Islanders traded their longtime center, Brock Nelson, at the 2025 trade deadline, Lee became the team’s active goals leader. If the Islanders’ captain doubled his goals total, he’d have five more than the franchise’s all-time leader, Mike Bossy, and his 573.

Aleksander Barkov (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

14. Florida Panthers

Aleksander Barkov, 286

Barkov is the Panthers’ all-time leader in games played (804), goals, assists (496), points (782), power-play points (243), shorthanded points (23), game-winning goals (52) and shots (2,097). But the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion is only second in plus-minus, with Gustav Forsling’s plus-166 rating leading his plus-124.

15. Carolina Hurricanes

Sebastian Aho, 283

Aho is 100 goals away from passing Ron Francis for the most in Hartford Whalers and Hurricanes history. He’s only 28 years old. It may take three or four seasons to break the record, but expect it to happen eventually.

16. New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad, 250

Zibanejad has many regular-season goals with the Rangers as Mark Messier. Chris Kreider scored 326 times for the Blueshirts but was traded to the Anaheim Ducks this off-season.

17. Detroit Red Wings

Dylan Larkin, 242

If Larkin tripled his goal total, he’d still trail Gordie Howe’s 786 for the most in the near-century of Red Wings history. But the Red Wings’ captain has nearly two-and-a-half times the number of goals of the player in second place on their active list, Lucas Raymond (98).

18. Montreal Canadiens

Brendan Gallagher, 239

Gallagher is tied with Bob Gainey for 15th place on the Canadiens’ all-time list. He has 101 more goals than captain Nick Suzuki.

19. Calgary Flames

Mikael Backlund, 215

Backlund has played the most seasons in Atlanta and Calgary Flames history, with 17 so far. Jarome Iginla played 16 seasons in Calgary but played 153 more games and scored 310 more goals – the Flames’ current captain played 24 NHL games across his first two seasons before making the roster full-time in his third.

20. Philadelphia Flyers

Sean Couturier, 206

The chase is on. That is, Couturier’s chase of new Flyers coach Rick Tocchet’s 232 goals for 13th place on the franchise list.

21. Vancouver Canucks

Brock Boeser, 204

When it looked like Boeser could have headed elsewhere in free agency, he signed a seven-year contract to stay with the Canucks. If he continues his career average of 0.37 goals per game, stays healthy and plays out his contract with the Canucks, he’ll pass Daniel Sedin for the most lamplighters in franchise history.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets

Boone Jenner, 199

Jenner, 32, needs 91 goals to pass Rick Nash for the most in Blue Jackets history. He has the most tipped-in (36) and backhand (19) goals in franchise history since tracking began in 2009-10.

23. Ottawa Senators

Brady Tkachuk, 191

Tkachuk turns 26 in September and is fourth in Senators all-time scoring, trailing Daniel Alfredsson by 227. Shoutout to Cy Denneny, who had 246 goals in 306 games for the original Ottawa Senators franchise that ran from the NHL’s first season in 1917-18 to 1934-35 when it folded after one year as the St. Louis Eagles.

The Countdown: Each NHL Franchise's Best Offensive Playoff PerformancesThe Countdown: Each NHL Franchise's Best Offensive Playoff PerformancesBy Jared Clinton, features writer

24. Minnesota Wild

Kirill Kaprizov, 185

Among players who scored at least 100 times, Wild left winger Kaprizov ranks 13th in NHL history in goals per game, with 0.58. That’s tied with Brett Hull. Expect a big raise on his $9-million cap hit when his contract expires after this upcoming season.

25. Buffalo Sabres

Tage Thompson, 173

Thompson recorded a league-high 106 mph shot this past season. His Sabres teammate appeared to have blocked the one-timer in front of the net. Ouch.

26. New Jersey Devils

Nico Hischier, 171

Hischier is 14 goals behind the Canucks’ Elias Pettersson for the most in the 2017 NHL draft class, but the Devils’ captain scored 20 more goals than Pettersson in 2024-25.

27. St. Louis Blues

Brayden Schenn, 169

Schenn only needs 15 points to become one of the Blues’ top 10 all-time point scorers. But he needs 26 goals to make the franchise’s top 10 goal-scorers list, and he hasn’t scored that many in a season since 2017-18. 

28. Vegas Golden Knights

William Karlsson, 161

One of the ‘Original Misfits’ became the active leader after the Golden Knights didn’t re-sign Jonathan Marchessault in the summer of 2024. Marchessault put up 192 goals with Vegas. As for Karlsson, he scored six goals the season before he joined the Golden Knights and scored 43 the year afterward.

29. Seattle Kraken

Jared McCann, 118

McCann is the all-time leading scorer for the Kraken, which enter their fifth season in 2025-26. Time flies.

30. Anaheim Ducks

Troy Terry, 116

Corey Perry, Rickard Rakell and Adam Henrique are still active NHLers and scored more goals for the Ducks than Terry, but of course, they’re no longer on the squad. Terry scored a career-high 37 goals in 2021-22 and surpassed 20 in the three seasons afterward.

31. Chicago Blackhawks

Connor Bedard, 45

Trust the process. Seven former Blackhawks players who remain active NHLers scored more goals in Chicago than Bedard, but the 20-year-old has plenty of time to climb the rankings and lead his rebuilding team toward success.

32. Utah Mammoth

Clayton Keller, 30

Keller led the way in Utah’s first year. Instead of a traditional relocation, the Coyotes transferred their hockey assets to Utah’s new franchise.

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Warriors reportedly ‘shutting down' Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade discussions

Warriors reportedly ‘shutting down' Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade discussions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It doesn’t appear the Warriors love their current Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade options.

Golden State currently isn’t interested in proposed trade packages from interested teams like the Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported Wednesday.

“The Warriors, as of right now, have shunned all sign-and-trade offers,” Charania said on “SportsCenter” with Slater and Malika Andrews. “Right now, what we see is a stalemate between both sides, as both sides are at a crossroads for a player that clearly believes he has not been given the full amount of opportunity in Golden State. 

“He has a high level of self-belief right now.”

Golden State reportedly has been offered several mixes of draft picks and role players, but nothing has moved the needle thus far. Kuminga and his camp aren’t in any rush to stay in the Bay or find a new home, either.

The 22-year-old forward averaged 15.3 points on 45.4-percent shooting with a concerning 30.5-percent clip from three-point range during the 2024-25 NBA season.

Like Charania, Slater believes the Warriors would prefer for Kuminga to sign a short-term contract with trade flexibility, but understands that the franchise can’t continue to drag its feet with its young forward.

“They’ve been pretty firm in the last few days, saying there’s a reason why it’s called ‘restricted free agency ‘and not ‘unrestricted free agency,’” Slater said. “They kind of hold the leverage on his future. Their preferred path clearly is the offer they put on the table; it’s short-term, it’s tradeable, that’s how they pitched it to Kuminga …” 

“Regardless, they say right now they’re shutting down sign-and-trade talks; they found nothing appealing there. And they believe he is going to be on the roster. Their stance is that he will be on the roster to start next season.”

Kuminga took to social media on Wednesday, emphasizing that he is betting on himself this offseason.

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Marcus Morris denied bond following arrest, prosecutors say he owes $265,000 to Las Vegas casinos

Marcus Morris Sr. remains in a Broward County, Florida, jail after appearing in court and being denied bond in a case where prosecutors have said he owes $265,000 to two prominent Las Vegas casinos and bounced checks to pay those bills off.

Morris was arrested on Sunday in Florida and made his first appearance in court, where his attorneys asked for a bond, saying that his being out of jail would speed up the resolution of this matter, reports TMZ Sports. The judge denied the request, saying he would only release Morris for extradition to Nevada, or if the arrest warrants were withdrawn (likely because the bill was paid). Morris did not speak during the proceedings; his brother (and fellow NBA player) Markieff Morris was in the courtroom supporting him. Markieff had previously posted on social media supporting his brother.

That amount of money is $265,000, according to court documents reviewed by TMZ. Morris reportedly got a marker for $115,000 from the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in May 2024, and in June of that year got a $150,000 marker from the Wynn Hotel. In both cases, Morris gave the casinos a bad check to cover the money owed, and those bounced checks led to the fraud charge for writing bad checks and the arrest. Because of the sums involved, these are felony counts.

Morris' manager denied there was fraud involved in a social media post.

Nevada is looking to extradite Morris, however, his attorney told Chuck Shilken of the Los Angeles Times that a large payment had already been made to resolve the issue.

Morris played 13 seasons in the NBA after being selected as the No. 14 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. For his career, Morris averaged 12 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Morris most recently played for Cleveland during the 2023-24 season. Last season, Morris was invited to the New York Knicks training camp but was waived before the season started and was never picked up by another team.