PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves is introduced prior to the 96th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today might be the Trade Deadline (and check out Tracker if you haven’t already) and it’s an off day for our Atlanta Braves but there’s still news to discuss outside of all of that. We’re a few days into the month of August and now Atlanta’s ace hurler has received some recognition for what he did during July.
Chris Sale has been recognized as the National League Pitcher of the Month for July.
Here’s more from Major League Baseball’s press release on the matter:
The 13th overall pick of the 2010 Draft posted three scoreless starts, dealing 7.0 innings on July 17th against Texas and 6.0 frames in Game 2 of a doubleheader at Citi Field on July 29th, along with a rain-shortened start of 3.0 innings on July 10th at St. Louis. He registered six strikeouts against the Rangers and nine at the Mets as he held both opponents to just two hits and did not issue a walk. Sale has three starts of at least 6.0 scoreless innings in which he allowed two-or-fewer hits and no walks (also: April 1st vs. ATH), matching Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes for the most such starts in the Majors this year.
Sale made five starts in total during the month of July (with 27 total innings pitched) and finished with a 2.00 ERA and a 2.21 FIP across those five starts. He racked up strikeouts at a pretty high rate, finishing with an 11.33 K/9 alongisde a 1.33 BB/9 and a 0.67 HR/9 over the month of July. Additionally, the Braves won all but one of those five starts he made — the only loss came when Sale was limited to three innings due to rain hitting Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
This is now the second time that Sale has been recognized as NL Pitcher of the Month with the Braves and it’s the sixth time overall — he pulled off the feat twice with both the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Red Sox. It’s just yet another accolade to add to the resume for the future Hall of Famer. Hopefully Atlanta will continue to thrive this season so more major honors of the team variety could be on the way for Chris Sale. We’ll see what happens.
LeBron James joining Philadelphia tilted the balance of power in the East, turned the 76ers into nearly co-favorites with the Knicks to win the conference, and led to accusations of ring-chasing from his clickbait haters.
Are the Philadelphia 76ers genuinely contenders now? Kevin Durant says yes, in a quote over the weekend, via Ben Golliver of ESPN.
Kevin Durant on LeBron James’s 76ers: “The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the [Warriors] team I was on. They have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they’re going to be a contender.” pic.twitter.com/aFcSyDoEq1
"The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the [Warriors] team I was on. [The 76ers] have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they're going to be a contender. They're going to be a fun team to watch. It's going to be League Pass-worthy."
To be technical, while Jaylen Brown, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid all averaged 25+ points per game last season, LeBron "only" averaged 20.9 playing on a team with Luka Doncic. However, LeBron has averaged 25+ points per game in 20 of his 23 NBA seasons so far.
There are legitimate questions about how all the puzzle pieces fit together in Philadelphia in a way there were not when Durant went to Golden State. The Warriors had an established offensive philosophy and system, a team culture in the locker room, that Durant was plugging into and enhancing. It was a clean fit. Philadelphia is much harder to pin down because it's basically two teams, the one when Embiid plays and the one when he doesn't. Brown and LeBron are not coming to be plugged into an already highly-efficient system.
LeBron ring chasing?
One accusation that came out of LeBron choosing Philadelphia — over more narrative-driven options such as Cleveland or Golden State — has been that he is "ring chasing."
It is a horribly flawed critique, starting with the fact it comes from people who would have complained he didn't care about winning if he went to Golden State or Miami — online full-time LeBron haters looking for clicks. These fans too often will lean into the "ringzzzz" culture as a measuring stick but then complain when a player does what is best for them to go get those rings. It's an impossible double standard.
In an interview with Sam Yip of Hoopshpe, Chris Bosh — who was rooting for LeBron to go to Miami — shot down the ring-chasing argument, bringing in a couple of the other biggest names in the game.
"Philly was a pretty good choice, too. So a lot of people call it ring chasing. Everybody chases rings. If you didn't think Kobe and Jordan were ring chasers too, you're crazy. [Laughs] Everybody wants a ring. I'll chase a ring right now. [Laughs]."
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 02: Tarik Skubal of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on in the dugout against the Boston Red Sox during the eigth inning at Dodger Stadium on August 02, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers last week beat the Mariners in two out of three games, securing a fourth consecutive series win out of the All-Star break. But then they got swept and outplayed at home by the Red Sox.
“A day later when all these talks have been kind of building up, it’s crazy. The front office did a great job,” Roberts said Sunday night. “I don’t think I’ve felt this good after getting swept, so that’s a silver lining, I guess.”
Batter of the week
Shohei Ohtani got a rest day Thursday while dealing with his left knee inflammation and right biceps troubles, but packed six games worth of production into five games, hitting .500 with two home runs and three doubles, extending his hit streak to six games.
Honorable mention goes to Freddie Freeman, who had 11 hits in 24 at-bats and extended his hit streak to 12 games, the longest by a Dodger this season. Freeman has 23 hits in his last 42 at-bats (.548), dating back to July 21.
Pitcher of the week
Eric Lauer might very well get traded by the 3 p.m. PT Monday trade deadline, but what he’s done so far with the Dodgers has been everything they’ve asked and more. That included six scoreless innings on Wednesday against the Mariners, allowing only three runners to reach base.
“Eric Lauer has been unbelievable for us,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said on Sunday.
Week 19 results
2-4 record 26 runs scored (4.33 per game) 31 runs allowed (5.17 per game) .420 pythagorean win percentage
Year to date
69-43 record 572 runs scored (5.11 per game) 422 runs allowed (3.77 per game) .636 pythagorean win percentage (71-41)
Miscellany
When a house becomes a home (run): Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy has signed four different extensions with the Dodgers, with whom is currently under contract through 2027 with a club option for 2028. It’s been a long journey for Muncy, who extended his arms on Tuesday against the Mariners for his 130th career regular season home run at Dodger Stadium, matching Eric Karros for most in the 65-year history of the ballpark. Counting postseason home runs with regular season efforts, Muncy’s 137 home runs at Dodger Stadium stands alone.
Third time’s a charm: Miguel Rojas on Friday got the start against Red Sox left-hander Ranger Suarez. Rather than move around other pieces in the lineup, Dave Robert penciled in Rojas batting third, the first such start for Rojas batting third in his career. That completed the batting order bingo card for Rojas, who has now started in each of the nine lineup spots in his 13-year career. His lone time batting cleanup came in 2022 with the Marlins.
Transactions
Tuesday: An oblique strain sidelined Kiké Hernández for 51 games, his second extending injured list stint this season, but he returned for the series against the Mariners. Alex Freeland was optioned after not starting in any of the previous 13 games.
Friday: Reliever Brock Stewart landed on the injured list for the third time this season, this time with right shoulder discomfort. Veteran lefty Cole Irvin was called up to the Dodgers, and right-hander Chayce McDermott was designated for assignment.
Saturday: One day after eating six innings to reset the bullpen, Irvin was sacrificed to the fresh arm gods and designated for assignment. Kyle Hurt rejoined the Dodgers from Oklahoma City.
The trade deadline comes at 3 p.m. PT on Monday, but the Dodgers on the field will be busy a few hours later at Wrigley Field, starting the Damian Miller gauntlet on the road to face the Cubs and Diamondbacks. Tuesday’s game is on TBS in addition to SportsNet LA.
A new week is here, and I'm ready to kick it off with three of my favorite home run props and predictions from tonight's MLB slate, highlighted by Rafael Devers and James Wood.
The big fella is the third-highest-rated hitter on Batters-Box tonight, covering nearly 100% of Quantrill's pitch mix. Across 261 elite ratings over the last three seasons, Devers has homered 22.22% of the time.
Devers has also been seeing the ball extremely well lately, posting a .343 batting average, .455 wOBA, and .629 SLG, while generating a 53.3% hard hit rate and 10% barrel rate over his last few games.
Quantrill has been getting hit hard by left-handed batters. The last 30 lefties he's faced have produced a .340 xBA, .718 xSLG, and .450 xwOBA, along with a 40% hard hit rate and 10% barrel rate.
With the way Devers is swinging it right now, whoever takes the mound is in for a tough night, especially if it's Quantrill. Our Quinn Allen is backing San Francisco with his Giants vs. Rangers predictions tonight.
Nola has struggled mightily against left-handed hitters. Over the last 30 lefties he's faced, he's allowed a 70.8% hard hit rate, 16.7% barrel rate, and a 75% elevation rate. Those hitters have also posted a .440 xBA, .817 xSLG, and .509 xwOBA.
Wood enters Monday with the highest matchup rating on Batters-Box, while covering the majority of Nola's pitch mix. He's also been squaring the ball up consistently over his last 60 at-bats against right-handed pitching, posting a .500 SLG and .867 OPS while generating plenty of hard contact and barrels.
I would do my best to grab Wood at +300 or better to leave the yard.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NATS, NBCS-Philadelphia
Home run prediction: CJ Abrams (+344)
CJ Abrams owns the second-highest matchup rating on Batters-Box's current season dataset tonight. He's also seeing the ball extremely well over his last 60 at bats, posting a .438 batting average, .979 SLG, 1.496 OPS, and .541 ISO.
In 19 elite ratings this season, the Nationals shortstop has homered 26.32% of the time. In a smaller sample of nine elite-rated road games, he's gone deep 44.44% of the time.
I'm already expecting the Nationals to score early, and I believe those runs will come from one of these two hitters. Trying to pick between Abrams and James Wood feels nearly impossible, so I'd rather sprinkle both in outstanding spots tonight.
Time: 6:40 p.m. ET
Where to watch: NATS, NBCS-Philadelphia
Best home run combo for Monday, Aug. 3
Rafael Devers
Trade Now +5217
James Wood
CJ Abrams
Want more baseball parlays? Check out our MLB parlay picks page!
Colby Marchio's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 90-331, +5.7 units
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.
The Buffalo Sabres have been considered to have one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL, which is in part due to them selecting high in recent drafts because of their not qualifying for the playoffs. The Sabres have displayed an eye for talent, and the organization’s developmental model has begun to yield results, with 2023 first-rounder Zach Benson making an impact in the playoffs and 2024 top pick Konsta Helenius appearing as one of the AHL’s top prospects the last two seasons.
Leading up to the opening of training camp in mid-September, we will look at the club's top 40 prospects. These players are all 25 years old or younger, whose rights are currently held by the Sabres or are on AHL or NHL deals, and have played less than 82 NHL games.
Will the Sabres add some scoring help before the start of training camp?
36 Dylan Dumont - Right Wing (Drummondville - QMJHL)
The Sabres late in the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo selected one of the youngest players eligible in QMJHL winger Dylan Dumont with their final pick at 188th overall. The 17-year-old made the jump from the Under-18 Quebec AAA league in 2024-25, after finishing second in the league with 31 goals in 42 games to the QMJHL.
Et il trouve une autre façon d'impressionner les recruteurs! 💥
With Drummondville, the 6’ 0”, 168 lb. winger began to score regularly as he became acclimated to the Q, and finished the season with a club-leading 28 goals. According to Elite Prospects, Dumont was successful at “executing whatever the play demanded, pushing back defenders off the rush, rushed the net, and made passing
plays under pressure. Knowing when and how to move, he consistently delivered the puck to teammates, pushing the play up the ice and creating scoring chances near the net.”
Normally, selecting a CHL player set a two-year clock on signing a draftee, but with the new rules of the collective bargaining agreement, players like Dumont can play those two years and commit to an NCAA club, which would allow the Sabres to maintain their exclusive rights.
On Sunday, NHL Network released its list of Top 20 Wingers Right Now, and one Montreal Canadiens winger made the list: Cole Caufield. The 15th overall pick at the 2019 draft landed in ninth place, despite finishing sixth in points amongst wingers last season and first in goals.
Who finished ahead of him? Nikita Kucherov took first place, followed by David Pastrnak. Given the fact they were the only wingers to get to 100 points last season, it’s hard to argue with their ranking. Kirill Kaprizov comes in third place, followed by Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen and Matt Boldy in sixth place. Finally, Jason Robertson and Matthew Tkachuk land in seventh and eighth place, respectively.
According to this ranking, Caufield is the third-best American winger in the league. Kaprizov and Robertson, just like Kucherov and Pastrnak, had more points in the regular season than the Canadiens’ sniper last season, so seeing them ahead of him is not all that surprising. As for Marner, he might have only gotten 80 points in 81 games in the regular season, but his playoff performance certainly allowed him to jump a few rankings. He put up 29 points in just 22 playoff games, and if the Vegas Golden Knights had won the Stanley Cup, he would have been the Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
Rantanen’s fifth place feels like it’s mainly down to past deeds; at 29, he’s had time to establish himself as a regular on that list. Last year, he was fourth in those rankings, and this past season, he finished the year with 77 points and gathered seven points in the Dallas Stars’ six playoff games as the Texas outfit crashed out in the first round against the Minnesota Wild.
Matt Boldy in sixth place is not a shock either. The Wild forward recorded 85 points in just 76 games, which would have worked out to a 92-point pace on a full 82-game season. In the playoffs, he also put up 13 points in 11 games while Caufield had the same total but in 19 games.
We’ve discussed Robertson earlier, but seeing the eldest Tkachuk in eighth place surprises me. He was limited to just 34 points in 31 games last season by an injury, and since the Panthers didn’t make the playoffs, he couldn’t have added to that total. Like Rantanen, Tkachuk is riding high thanks to past realization; at 28 years, he has two 100-point or more seasons. Of course, the pest also brings an agitator quality that Caufield doesn’t have, but I feel the Canadiens’ sniper’s ability to score important goals has been undervalued in those rankings.
That being said, Caufield is only 25; give him a couple more years of big production to pad his resume, and he may well shoot up those rankings, especially if he remains clutch in his scoring and manages to do that in the postseason as well.
The list is completed by William Nylander, Kyle Connor, Artemi Panarin, Brandon Hagel, Sam Reinhart, Martin Necas, Jake Guentzel, Clayton Keller, Brady Tkachuk, Cutter Gauthier and Lucas Raymond. Interestingly, the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning each have three of the top 20 wingers in the league, while the Dallas Stars have two. Somewhere down the line, it’s quite conceivable that the Habs could have two as well, with Ivan Demidov having shown some tremendous skills in his rookie season. Given that Brady Tkachuk also made the list, there might be a possibility for Juraj Slafkovsky to get there as well one day, if his development keeps going the right way.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - AUGUST 2: Everson Pereira #28 of the Chicago White Sox celebrates his two-run home run against the Tampa Bay Rays with Chase Meidroth #10 during the ninth inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on August 2, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For once, the Yankees made up some ground on Tampa. New York held on to win a nailbiter in Chicago Sunday afternoon and, in Tampa, the White Sox took down the Rays, enabling the Yankees to gain a game in the AL East standings.
The combination of the Yankee win and Rays loss moves the Bronx Bombers to within 2.5 games of first place in the division. But because we can’t have nice things, the Red Sox beat the Dodgers again Sunday night, meaning they’re hanging around a mere 2.5 games back of the Yankees. Sigh. Damned Dodgers can’t do anything right.
Tampa Bay Rays (65-46) 1, Chicago White Sox (59-52) 9
The Rays and ChiSox had split the first two games of this weekend set so the winner today was walking away with the series win as well. This game was never really close. The White Sox scored twice in the first, thanks in large part to blunders by Tampa starter Griffin Jax. A Jax throwing error allowed former Yankee Andrew Benintendi to scamper home with the game’s first run. Then, a wild pitch resulted in a second run scoring. In the end, that was all the offense Chicago needed.
They weren’t done there, though. Another former Yankee, Everson Pereira, was responsible for much of the damage. In the fifth, the former highly-touted prospect clubbed a two-run double. Not finished, he followed that with a two-run round tripper in the ninth. Speaking of the ninth, the Rays managed to get off the schneid with a run in the home ninth to avoid the shutout.
Boston Red Sox (59-51) 8, Los Angeles Dodgers (69-42) 4: The rare time I (and most Yankee fans, I suspect) am cheering for the Dodgers, and they blow it. The reigning champs just got swept at home by the Red Sox, continuing the latter’s surge up the standings. Sunday, Boston jumped all over Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan, hanging five runs on him and knocking him out after 2.2 innings. From there, a balanced Boston offense took over. By the time the game came to its end, five different BoSox had driven in at least one run. Please go away, Boston.
Texas Rangers (55-57) 3, Houston Astros (58-55) 7: “Dread it, run from it. Destiny arrives all the same.” The Houston Astros are in first place in the American League West. After their win over the second-place Rangers Sunday, their lead is 2.5 games. If they are inevitable, then Yordan Alvarez is playing the part of Thanos. The hulking slugger notched four hits on the day for the ‘Stros, including three doubles, driving in a pair of runs. He’s walking almost as much as he strikes out, hitting .330, and has a 196 wRC+ in the clubhouse after today’s game. Keep an eye on him as he has a realistic shot at an MLB Triple Crown. Some fellow named Mantle was the last to do that, 70 years ago. Yordan is currently 1st in BA, 1st in HR, and 3rd in RBI (one behind 1st place).
Cleveland Guardians (57-56) 5, Arizona Diamondbacks (59-53) 0: Gavin Williams, ladies and gentlemen. Sunday, the Cleveland ace threw 5.2 innings of nigh-perfect (one hit and one walk) ball while striking out 10. I know it is 2026 and everyone strikes out everyone – I’m a Yankee fan, I’m eminently familiar with hitters whiffing. But Williams is on quite the heater. In his last five starts he has struck out: 11, 11, 11, 12, and now 10. That will do. Offensively, Patrick Bailer gave Cleveland all they needed with a solo home run in the 3rd. To be safe though, Chase DeLauter knocked in three more to give the Guards some breathing room.
Minnesota Twins (56-57) 6, Seattle Mariners (55-58) 7: The stoppable force meets the moveable object. Though to be fair to both teams, with the state of the American League right now, both are “contenders” for the third and final wild card spot. Sunday, the Twins showed serious moxie, to give them credit. Down 6-0 entering the eighth inning, the Twins plated five on a two-run home run from Trevor Larnach and a three-run shot by Royce Lewis. That set the stage for the Twinkies to complete the comeback in the ninth, which they did on a solo home run off the bat of Luke Keaschall. Alas, that was where the magic ended. In the bottom of the ninth, Colt Emerson came to the plate with the bases loaded. His single plated the game-winner and rescued Seattle from what would have been a catastrophic loss.
LAS VEGAS – Will Richard’s goal going into his second NBA Summer League was to build off what he was best at as a rookie for the Warriors: Cutting, hitting open shots and guarding at a high level.
Sitting at the Chase Center podium for Warriors Summer League Media Day at the end of June, Richard then listed another area of his game he was focused on.
“I want to improve my communication,” Richard said. “I feel like this is an opportunity to step up and use my voice and be a leader in that area.”
Summer league rosters mostly are filled with rookie draft picks, two-way contracts and those trying to impress ahead of training camp with a G League opportunity. Richard was one of the summer’s rare players who came with experience. Colby Jones technically has one more NBA game to his name than him – 70 to 69 – but all of Richard’s experience comes from the Warriors’ system.
He is who the Warriors leaned on this summer, from their first practice to celebrating a championship in Las Vegas. Richard, 23, is who brought the Warriors together before they broke the huddle every game. He encouraged teammates during games and was first to get off the bench for a timeout.
The Warriors mic’d up Richard for their first game in Las Vegas, and how he leads was seen and heard in a game where the young Warriors wing had six points on 3-of-5 shooting with four rebounds, a team-high seven assists and a team-high two steals as a game-high plus-26 in an 11-point win against the Dallas Mavericks.
Just us on three! Richard says to lead the Warriors onto the court.
Be aggressive! Come on! Richard encourages LaJae Jones on his way to a three-point play.
Knock-down, boy! Richard says after finding an open Yaxel Lendeborg right before making a three.
LJ! Way to hoop, boy! Richard immediately says after the Warriors win, dapping up LJ Cryer, who scored a team-high 25 points.
Yeah Yax! Richard yells into an ESPN microphone, messing with Lendeborg after his first summer league game in Las Vegas.
Richard’s three summer league goals were executed in the Warriors’ first game of their championship run in Las Vegas. So was the fourth. He cut, he hit open shots and he defended at a high level while leading the way outside of the box score.
“He’s definitely taken on a pretty big vocal leadership role, and we’ve encouraged him,” Warriors summer league coach Khalid Robinson said after practice on June 13. “We’ve encouraged him in practice, in games, in the locker room and he has taken on that challenge. He’s been a really good leader and a good teammate in this environment.”
There’s a great clip from Warriors training camp last year that exemplifies why Richard made an impact as a rookie, and why the team has high expectations for his 2026-27 NBA season. Richard sets a screen on Gary Payton II for Draymond Green in practice and immediately slips for an easy bucket. After praising Richard for his cut, Kerr turns to Jimmy Butler on the sidelines and whispers “That kid is pretty good!”
Kerr and Butler come to the same conclusion: He knows how to play.
Only three players were picked below Richard in the 2025 NBA Draft, yet he ranked 11th in win shares by the rookie class. Richard was fifth in steals per game among all rookies (1.2) as he easily cemented himself as one of the steals in the draft.
The Warriors liked Richard enough to move up in the draft for him, and even they admittedly were surprised by his early contributions. Richard wound up ranked third on Golden State in games played (69) and started 21 of them, averaging 20 minutes a night after being one of the last picks in the draft.
This summer, Richard played in seven of a possible nine games and averaged 10.3 points on 48.1-percent shooting (26 of 54) and 48.3 percent (14 of 29) from 3-point range. Adding strength in the weight room was another primary focus since the season ended, which was evident as part of Richard’s team-high 13 steals.
Richard came full circle after winning the championship in Las Vegas when he emphasized his growth in leadership.
“This was a great opportunity for me to find my voice on the team,” Richard told reporters. “That’s not just talking and all that but leading by example. Making sure I’m coming here doing the right things and being a voice where the coaches can connect to the players.”
Instead of going outside of himself throughout summer league, Richard expanded on his role and jumped into bigger shoes after a year of learning from all-time greats. His services will be needed even more in Year 2, and the Warriors should be able to rely on him even more with confidence in his game and his communication.
With the fireworks finally in the rearview mirror, here are nine thoughts on the Sixers’ offseason:
1. The Sixers haven’t earned 50 regular-season victories since Doc Rivers’ tenure as head coach. The 2026-27 team looks capable of hitting 50. The Sixers should care about racking up wins, too. Every day of playoff rest will matter for a team featuring James and Joel Embiid. James will be 42 years old by the time the postseason rolls around, Embiid 33 and with an injury-cursed past. No deep playoff run is effortless, but the Sixers will aim for the smoothest possible road.
2. The Sixers should pose major physical problems to just about every opponent. Embiid, Jaylen Brown and James are all well-versed at targeting defenders who can’t cope with their size and strength. Tyrese Maxey’s speed is a world-class tool. Offensive rhythm and balance sounds nice, but the Sixers’ smartest option will sometimes be as simple as tossing the ball to whoever has the best chance of beating his man 1-on-1. James should enhance their ability to identity those mismatches and exploit them over and over again.
3. With James on board, it’s so much easier to envision Maxey benefiting from greater offensive variety. Even if he remains the Sixers’ primary ball handler and continues to see heaps of pick-and-roll blitzes, there’s no question Maxey should have a lighter on-ball load. Cleaning the Glass classified Maxey as playing 100 percent of his minutes at point guard each of the last three seasons.
“This series was definitely tough for me,” Maxey said at his May exit interview after the Sixers were swept out of the playoffs by the Knicks. “They made it tough on me. I can’t even sit here and lie. I saw multiple bodies every single night. Every single pick-and-roll, it was a trap. Every single (Jalen) Brunson action, it was a trap. Every single time I got downhill, the entire team was in the paint and I was trying to kick out. … Next year I want to do some things off the ball and just not have to be in front of the defense all the time.
“When you’re in front of the defense all the time, it gives them opportunities to trap me a lot. It gives the entire team opportunities to kind of load up. I feel like that’s one thing that really good players and great players can do. They can be on the ball and make plays on the ball, but they can also be off the ball and contribute that way, use their gravity that way.”
4. In a strange way, Embiid and Maxey are uniquely equipped to adjust to all the day-to-day buzz that comes with James. They’ve each endured true sagas as Sixers — Markelle Fultz’s damaged shot; Ben Simmons and James Harden’s traderequests; health woes ranging from Bell’s palsy to appendicitis. James will bring a different sort of spotlight. However, strictly in terms of riding the season’s rollercoaster and handling intense moments, Embiid and Maxey should be relatively unfazed.
“I think it’s showing his level of seriousness in trying to get me to come to Philly,” Simons said in a July press conference on Zoom. “That’s one thing other teams didn’t do. That was one of the big selling points with me coming to Philly and feeling like I’m needed here and wanted here. That helped the pitch out pretty good for sure.”
6. The Sixers will surely fall short of expectations in certain areas. Even if James thrives and his fellow stars stay healthy, the Sixers might underwhelm defensively or struggle to rebound at an adequate level. We still think it’s safe to project that the Sixers will be great at drawing free throws. After finishing last season sixth in free throw rate, they may very well lead the league in that category. James and Brown combined to shoot 12.8 free throws per game last year.
7. Before all of his summer dealmaking, Gansey emphasized “internal development” as a core part of the Sixers’ plans.
“With Tyrese, VJ (Edgecombe) and some of our other young guys, they’ve got to get better, too,” Gansey said at his introductory press conference. “I think it’s internal growth, (the 22nd pick), free agency, and trying to add as much depth as we can to this roster.”
Offseason work hasn’t suddenly become irrelevant for the Sixers. Can Maxey improve even more as a long-range shooter, pick-and-roll passer and do-it all guard? What kind of offensive progress will Edgecombe make ahead of Year 2 in the NBA? Could a young role player like Dominick Barlow enter the season with sharpened skills and establish himself as a valuable, dependable piece on a star-heavy team?
8. The Sixers went 21-23 last regular season without Embiid and 1-3 in the playoffs. He expects to have a healthier season and everyone associated with the Sixers hopes his luck finally turns. Regardless, there still appear to be valid reasons for concern about the Sixers when their seven-time All-Star center is out. The 23-year-old Adem Bona and 24-year-old Ariel Hukporti are right behind Embiid on the Sixers’ depth chart. Both Bona and Hukporti have two years of NBA experience and, to this point, they’ve been foul-prone, offensively limited players. The Sixers do have others capable of sliding up to center on occasion, including James, Barlow and Dean Wade, but picking up another big man during the season might make sense.
9. With three hefty salaries on their books in Embiid, Brown and Maxey, the Sixers will need some bargain players. James is an obvious candidate; he’ll play on a minimum salary of approximately $3.9 million. He’s not the only one, though. After starting 59 games last season, Barlow is set to make $3.4 million. Edgecombe ($11.7 million), Simons ($6 million) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope ($3.9 million) are among the other contenders.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 27: Luis Arraez #1 of the San Francisco Giants prepares for the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Oracle Park on July 27, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Suzanna Mitchell/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today is the MLB trade deadline, and the San Francisco Giants wasted no time being active. Early in the morning, news broke that the Giants had traded All-Star second baseman to the Philadelphia Phillies for right-handed pitching prospect Ramon Marquez. The Giants are also sending right-handed reliever Caleb Kilian to Philadelphia, while getting back right-handed pitching prospect Marty Gair.
The Giants held out for a nice return for Arráez, who is in line to win the National League batting title this year, and it seems they got exactly that with Marquez. A 20-year old who signed as an international free agent last year, Marquez has wasted no time becoming one of the top prospects in the Phillies organization. In the most recent Fangraphs rankings, Marquez graded out as the team’s No. 3 prospect, and the No. 67 overall prospect in baseball.
Marquez was thoroughly dominant in Low-A this year, posting a 1.86 ERA and a 2.65 FIP in six games, with 47 strikeouts in 29 innings, and just 10 walks. That earned him a promotion to High-A, where he’s kept the performance up: in six starts at the level, the righty has a 1.50 ERA, a 1.99 FIP, and 46 strikeouts to nine walks in 30 innings. He has a high quality fastball and slider, but his money pitch is a changeup that grades out as one of the best pitches in Minor League Baseball. He should immediately slot right behind the team’s No. 4 pick in last month’s draft, Jackson Flora, as the second-best pitching prospect in the system.
As for Gair, he was Philly’s 13th-round pick in the 2023 draft. The 23-year old is a gaudy strikeout artist but struggles with command. Across 36 innings this year (33 in Low-A and three in High-A), the right-hander has 66 strikeouts and just 20 hits allowed … but has walked 22 batters. He has a 4.50 ERA and a 3.88 FIP on the season, and has worked exclusively in relief.
The Giants have been exposed this year for not having nearly enough pitching. Seen through that lens, the addition of Marquez to pair with Flora, and fellow draftees Carson Bolemon and Kaden Waechter, is a big win. Suddenly, San Francisco’s pitching pipeline looks a whole lot better than it did in June. The Giants did wonderfully at last year’s deadline, and it sure looks like they’re off to a similar start this year.
It still hurts to see Arráez leave, though. Good Giant.
The Toronto Blue Jays (52-60) open a three-game series tonight at Daikin Park against the Houston Astros (58-55). These two clubs are moving in opposite directions. The Jays are 6-4 in their last ten games but sit last in the AL East and 4.5 games behind the final Wild Card spot with six teams to climb over if they are to earn that final Wild Card spot. Houston, meanwhile, has won nine of their last ten to vault into first in the AL West. They lead the Rangers by 2.5 games.
Toronto hosted the Cardinals over the weekend and took two of the three games. The Blue Jays won the first two games of the series, beating St. Louis 3-1 on Friday behind Dylan Cease and 5-1 on Saturday before falling 5-1 on Sunday. Houston comes into the series red hot after sweeping the Rangers in convincing fashion outscoring Texas, 23-9.Sunday's victory was powered by superstar Yordan Alvarez, who went 4-for-5 with three doubles, two RBIs, and a run scored.
Toronto will send veteran right-hander Shane Bieber (2-2, 5.74 ERA) to the mound to open the series. Bieber's most recent start came on July 28 against Washington. After three solid outings, Bieber got rocked by the Nationals. The veteran did not get out of the first inning allowing four runs on just one hit. Bieber walked six hitters. This after allowing three earned runs over his previous three starts (17.2 innings). Houston counters with right-hander Cristian Javier (1-1, 7.17 ERA). Still working his way back from a shoulder injury, Javier has been solid his last couple of outings. He has not allowed a run in his last six innings of work including five shutout innings in his most recent start last Monday at the Angels.
In terms of bats for these teams, the leaders statistically are Kazuma Okamoto (24 HRs and 69 RBIs) and Ernie Clement (.289 batting average) for the Jays and Yordan Alvarez (35 HRs, 84 RBIs, and a .330 batting average) for the Astros.
Lets dive further into tonight’s game and find a sweat or two.
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Game Details and How to Watch: Blue Jays vs. Astros
Date: Monday, August 3, 2026
Time: 8:10PM EST
Site: Daikin Park
City: Houston, TX
Network/Streaming: MLB.TV, Sportsnet, SCHN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
The Latest Odds: Blue Jays vs. Astros
The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:
Moneyline: Toronto Blue Jays (+110), Houston Astros (-132)
Spread: Blue Jays +1.5 (-181), Astros -1.5 (+149)
Total: 9.0 runs
Probable Starting Pitchers – Blue Jays vs. Astros for August 3
Blue Jays: Shane Bieber Season Totals: 31.1 IP, 2-2, 5.74 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 22K, 18 BB
Astros: Cristian Javier Season Totals: 21.1 IP, 1-1, 7.17 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 21K, 15 BB
Who’s Hot? Who’s Not! Blue Jays vs. Astros
George Springer has collected 13 hits and 10 RBIs over his last 10GP
Jeremy Peña is 21-for-47 with 5 HRs over his last 10GP
Yordan Alvarez was 7-11with 4 RBIs against the Rangers this past weekend
Isaac Paredes is 4-16 including 1 HR over his last 5GP
Kazuma Okamoto has struck out 26 times in his last 97 ABs
Andres Gimenez was 3-7 over the weekend against St. Louis
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top Betting Trends & Insights: Blue Jays vs. Astros
The Blue Jays are 50-62 on the Run Line this season
The Astros are 58-55 on the Run Line this season
The OVER has cashed 54 times in Toronto’s 112 games this season (54-54-4)
The OVER has cashed 60 times in Houston’s 113 games this season (60-48-5)
Expert picks & predictions: Blue Jays vs. Astros
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s game between the Blue Jays and the Astros:
Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Astros on the Run Line.
Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 9.0
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Mikel Arteta’s team and the Brazilian star could be a perfect match. It also could be a risk that ends in disaster
Sometimes what is needed is something different.
There is a long history in football of counterintuitive thinking being successful, of the benefits of creative tension, of adding grit to the oyster to generate the pearl, but even so, the news that talks between Vinícius Júnior and Arsenal on personal terms are progressing comes as something of a shock. Mikel Arteta’s great followers of a blueprint adding a free spirit like the Brazilian? Really?
ARLINGTON, TX - JUNE 19: A general view of Brandon Nimmo #24 of the Texas Rangers Nike City Connect jersey during a game against the San Diego Padres at Globe Life Field on June 19, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Bailey Orr/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Congratulations to Jack Wheeler, who has been named the #19 prospect in the 2026 LSB Midseason Community Prospect Rankings, receiving a little under one-quarter of the vote.
Our list so far:
1 — Sebastian Walcott
2 — Caden Scarborough
3 — Malcolm Moore
4 — A.J. Russell
5 — Yolfran Castillo
6 — Rafe Perich
7 — Dylan Dreiling
8 — Josh Owens
9 — Jose Corniell
10 — Dalton Pence
11 — David Davalillo
12 — Yeison Morrobel
13 — Hector Osorio
14 — Cam Cauley
15 — Seong-Jun Kim
16 — Winston Santos
17 — Paulino Santana
18 — Emiliano Teodo
19 — Jack Wheeler
Moving on…
Who is the #20 prospect in the Rangers system right now?
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - OCTOBER 05: Luis Castillo #58 of the Seattle Mariners hugs teammate Bryce Miller #50 after being pulled from the game during the fifth inning in game two of the Division Series at T-Mobile Park on October 05, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Luis Castillo is no longer a Mariner, but his impact on the rotation – and the club itself – will be felt for years.
Castillo came to the Mariners in 2022 as part of a splashy trade deadline deal with the Reds, joining a staff with established veterans Robbie Ray and Marco Gonzales, as well as two of the Mariners’ bright young pitching prospects, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby. (For a more comprehensive look back at Castillo’s tenure, make sure to read Zach’s ode to La Piedra from yesterday.) Ray and Gonzales would move on and be replaced by other, younger faces from the Mariners’ prospect pipeline; Castillo remained, the lone veteran presence in the rotation, and one of the few veterans in a clubhouse that was getting younger and more homegrown each year.
Castillo, 33, often said that he didn’t feel that much older than the other pitchers, but they unmistakably looked at him as a role model, the unofficial leader of the rotation. And Castillo’s light didn’t just touch the starters; coming in as a big-leaguer with significant service time, already a multi-year All-Star, made him an inspiration to younger players, who saw him as someone who’d already gotten where they wanted to go. With a warm, humorous demeanor and fluency in both Spanish and English, Castillo was easy for any player in the clubhouse to approach.
“He was the vet of the staff, and everybody could always lean on him if they needed to, and he was always willing to help,” said Bryce Miller, who was especially close with Castillo (the two shared both a bone-dry sense of humor and an interest in fishing, Castillo even promising to pick Miller up in Texas on his boat for a fishing trip – “now we’ll have to line that up in the off-season,” huffed Miller). “I leaned on him a lot.”
Andrés Muñoz, who was in the midst of his first full big-league season when Castillo arrived, acknowledged the significance of having another native Spanish-speaking pitcher to bounce ideas off of, but said Castillo’s influence ran much deeper than just a shared mother tongue.
“It wasn’t only that he was a Latin player, but he had almost ten years in the big leagues,” Muñoz said pregame on Sunday after news of the trade broke. “So that tells you a lot about how much he knows about baseball and all the things he’s doing to be consistent for so many years.
My first thought was ‘follow the leader.’ For me, he is a leader, and that is why [the trade] hurts a lot.”
Every player in the clubhouse – including Castillo himself – recognizes that this is the business side of baseball, one of the prices paid for the privilege of playing the game. That doesn’t lessen the sting for his fellow pitchers, even as they’ve grown from greenhorns to more experienced big-leaguers themselves, as they’re better acquainted than anyone with the exceptional steadfastness of Luis Castillo.
“He’s the best, man,” said George Kirby postgame, coming off a seven-inning shutout performance against the Twins that would make prime La Piedra proud. “The way he carries himself every day, he always has a smile on his face. That’s something I really admire, something I wish I could do a little more often.
I always looked forward to seeing Luis any day because he always made you feel better.”
Logan Gilbert concurred with Kirby, noting that Castillo was seemingly “always in a good mood” – something borne out in his final press conference, when he entered the Mariners interview room for the last time with his customary, musical “helloooooo everybodyyyy” that was the hallmark of the start of all of his media sessions.
“I was actually talking to my wife about this on the phone last night,” said Gilbert. “It’s so rare to have somebody where the outing never dictated his mood. The game, the season, where we’re at, what’s going on – if everyone else is panicking, he’s not. Like he just knows that everything’s going to be all right somehow. There’s a lot to be said for that. That’s really rare in this game.”
It’s not surprising to hear younger pitchers talk with envy about Castillo’s steadfastness and composure. That sense of ease is a separating quality at this level; frustratingly, it’s also something that becomes more difficult to attain the more it’s grasped after.
Not that Castillo didn’t try to impart those lessons on the younger pitchers. While leading by example, he also offered specific guidance, tailored to each pitcher’s personality. He encouraged Kirby to put down his Furious George persona after a bad outing and appreciate the moment; for the hyper-cerebral Gilbert, to not think so much; for Miller, master tinkerer and lover of the pitching lab, to not change things in response to a poor outing. He provided immediate direct assessments, both verbal and nonverbal, to Muñoz, who values peer feedback.
“He would tell you the truth right away,” said Muñoz. “He wasn’t going to go around the thing. As soon as he sees something that is wrong, he’s going to tell you, and that’s what I like the most about him. He didn’t go around anything. He would just go, hey, you’re missing this, you’re doing this wrong. He saw me throw in the bullpen a lot of times and I would just have to look at him – I’d be throwing a bullpen, and miss a pitch or miss something, and I’d just look at him and I’d know he was going to tell me something. Or just by the way that he’d look at me, I already knew what I had to do. That’s the kind of leader that other pitchers need.”
Gilbert had a specific anecdote summing up Castillo’s hands-on leadership.
“I think back to – I threw a bullpen in Minnesota two years ago, probably, one of my famous freakout bullpens where it didn’t go well. I’m panicking, trying to change everything, and threw too many pitches.”
In the midst of his spiral, Gilbert described Castillo watching the bullpen from the corner of the bullpen, amused, before taking the young pitcher aside afterwards.
“He told me, first of all, like why are you doing this?,” recounted Gilbert. “He said, ‘don’t change anything, don’t think too much, and don’t try so hard.‘ And I’m like, how did he just make it that simple that quickly? It seems like such a simple thing to say, but I’ll remember that the rest of my career. That’s stuff that I actually try to live by on the mound, in my practice. He just says it at the right time. He just has the perfect awareness, perfect feel for the situation.”
The old baseball cliché is that you can’t teach feel. But that didn’t stop Luis Castillo from trying, every day, over his Mariners tenure, from living as a model of consistency on the mound and in the clubhouse to showing what that looks like in interpersonal relationships, offering his time and his talent and his wisdom to anyone who might seek it.
“That is the thing I learned the most from him,” said Muñoz. “It doesn’t matter how your outing is going, you have to stay the same. He was the perfect example for everybody. And I want to follow in his footsteps.”
“He knows how to relate to everybody,” said Gilbert. “Pitchers, hitters, American guys, Latin guys. He just related to everybody.”
“I think that’s a really rare thing to see, especially on the pitching side of things. He did more for me and other people than fans will ever realize.”
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 19, 2026: Walker Janek #6 of the Houston Astros bats during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 19, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Another day of minor league baseball is in the books. See the results below. Check out the previous day’s recap here.
AAA: Sugar Land Space Cowboys (57-50) won 4-3 (BOX SCORE)
Pecko started for Sugar Land and went 5.1 innings allowing 3 runs, though he also struck out 9 and generated 20 swings and misses. The offense got on the board in the 4th inning on a Ferreras solo home run and Delgado RBI single. The bullpen was great keeping the scored 3-2 going to the 9th. In the bottom of the 9th, Sugar Land walked it off again on a Thaiss 2 run single as they won 4-3.
Ethan Pecko, RHP: 5.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
Kai-Wei Teng, RHP: 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
Alimber Santa, RHP: 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K
Miguel Ullola, RHP: 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K (WIN)
AA: Corpus Christi Hooks (48-54) lost 4-3 (BOX SCORE)
Hicks got the start for the Hooks and pitched well allowing 1 run over 5.1 innings. In the 7th, Leach allowed 3 runs as Frisco extended their lead. The Hooks got on the board in the 8th inning on a Janek RBI single, Call walk and Holy walk. Unfortunately that was it from the offense as the Hooks fell 4-3.
Note: Janek is hitting .471 over his last nine games.
A+: Asheville Tourists (33-68) lost 11-7 (BOX SCORE)
Asheville got on the board in the first inning on a Thomas solo home run. After the Drive scored 2 in the third, Powell responded with a 2 run home run. Howard got the start but struggled allowing 5 runs over 3.2 innings. Asheville reclaimed the lead in the 5th inning on a Huezo walk and Walker 3 run double. The pen struggled down the stretch allowing 6 runs and the offense was quiet the rest of the way as Asheville fell 11-7.
A: Fayetteville Woodpeckers (52-48) won 5-3 (BOX SCORE)
The Woodpeckers got on the board in the second inning on a double play and a run on a double steal. They got another run in the third on a Sierra sac fly. In the 4th, Luciano added a solo home run. Weber got the start and went 5 innings allowing 2 runs. They picked up another run in the 8th when a run scored on a throw to second base. Smith closed it out allowing 1 run over 4 innings as the Woodpeckers won 5-3.
Rafael Devers
James Wood
