They made history together in 2024, becoming the first father and son to share the court -- not to mention playing for the same team -- during an NBA game. And they continued to share the same locker room and suit up purple-and-gold for the past two seasons.
But that feel-good history gave way to reality when ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday, June 30, reported LeBron James has informed the Lakers he will be playing elsewhere during the 2026-27 season. The business of basketball, already set in motion, accelerated.
If the Lakers had waived Bronny on Monday, they would've saved about $1 million in cap space. But on Tuesday, Bronny remained a Laker, but his future is unclear.
Bronny James Lakers contract
Unlike his father, Bronny is not an unrestricted free agent, or a free at all.
Bronny, 21, is headed into the third year of a four-year contract, with the final year being a club option.
But that doesn’t rule out Bronny asking for a trade if he hopes to rejoin his father and the Lakers are willing to comply.
During the 2026-27 season, Bronny will be making $2,296,271 a year, a pittance among NBA players. But critics might argue it's debatable if he deserves to be on the roster – or if it was mostly meant to keep his father happy.
Last season, his second in the NBA, Bronny averaged 2.9 points, 1.1 assists in 8.9 minutes per game. He also shot 40.9% from the field and 38.6% from 3-point range, appreciable improvement over his rookie season.
Before the Lakers played the Rockets in the first round of the playoffs last season, Lakers coach JJ Redick talked about Bronny.
“He's improved a lot, we trust him,’’ Redick said. “The shooting I believe in because of how well he shot it in the G league. There was a stretch where he didn’t shoot it well. He’s improved defensively in terms of his body positioning both on and off ball."
He also remained a fan favorite, and moments with LeBron and Bronny on the court together were potential magic – including father finding son for an alley-oop during Game 3 of the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets this past season.
But now the father is gone.
Will the son remain with the Lakers?
Only one thing is certain: The most famous father-and-son pair in NBA history will no longer be wearing purple and gold together.
James will be the most coveted free agent on the market despite entering his record 24th NBA season, especially if he's willing to take a pay cut. He signed with the Lakers ahead of the 2018-19 NBA season and won the 2020 NBA championship in the COVID bubble with the franchise. The 41-year-old is just a year removed from earning all-NBA honors.
The Golden State Warriors are considered the front-runners to sign James after Draymond Green's decision to opt out of his contract to provide the team with financial flexibility. But it would involve James taking less money than he's used to and there are other potential suitors, including James' two former teams.
Here's a breakdown of the potential NBA free agent landing spots for James now that he has informed the Lakers that he plans to play elsewhere during the 2026-27 season:
The Warriors have emerged as early favorites to land James given recent developments. If James is willing to take the midlevel exception of about $15 million, there's a relatively straightforward path for him to join Steph Curry and Green on Golden State's roster next season.
Cleveland Cavaliers
A return to Cleveland has long been considered a possibility for James, who could provide the veteran boost the Cavaliers need to get over the hump in the Eastern Conference with their current nucleus. James Harden's decision to agree to a new contract should give Cleveland enough flexibility to make this work, either through the midlevel exception or a sign-and-trade.
Miami Heat
Would James want to join forces with Giannis Antetokounmpo for a major discount? That's likely what it would take to make a return South Beach happen. It's also unclear if James and Antetokounmpo could work along with Bam Adebayo. But Pat Riley has always taken big swings. Snagging James and Giannis in the same offseason would be the ultimate one.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are a longshot in this process, but the prospect of pairing James with Nikola Jokic would create one of the most basketball savvy duos ever. Denver could make this work as a sign-and-trade, or if James is willing to take a veteran's minimum salary.
Los Angeles Lakers
James told the Lakers he plans to play elsewhere, but the Lakers are still the team that can pay him the most money given its cap situation. Perhaps James finds a better fit elsewhere. Maybe the Lakers do the same with another player. But don't completely close the door on James and the Lakers, if only because more money and leverage can always change minds.
Last night’s game at Wrigley Field had an air of playoff baseball from the early innings. Perhaps it was a throwback to the last time the San Diego Padres played at Wrigley Field during the Wild Card round in 2025. Or maybe it was that both the Cubs and the Padres find themselves squarely in the Wild Card hunt, more games than they’d like behind their respective division leaders, but still solidly over .500 as the calendar flips to July. It was probably amplified by the wind blowing out and one of the first truly hot days of summer. Every pitch felt like it could travel over the wall and break the game wide open.
But of course, that’s not how it went down. On a night that felt like it was destined for a high scoring affair, the Cubs and Padres battled to a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Padres tried to eke a bit more out of Jason Adam, letting him face a red hot Pete Crow-Armstrong who hit a flare of a single to left field. Then they brought in Mason Miller: their closer who throws well over 100 miles per hour, striking out more than 50 percent of the batters he’s faced in 2026 and just generally setting the standard for relief pitchers. It turns out even Mason Miller is human [VIDEO].
Seiya Suzuki sent the crowd at Wrigley Field into a frenzy as he hit a towering fly ball off the ivy, just out of the grasp of leftfielder Jase Bowen.
It was the Cubs’ 10th walkoff victory of the season. Despite the injury woes and staring down a superior Padres bullpen, the 2026 Cubs found a way. The win took them to 47-38 on the season, keeping pace in the division, 5.5 games back of the Brewers. That 10th walkoff win is the most the Cubs have had in a season since 13 walkoffs in 2015:
As we wait for tonight’s action from the corner of Clark and Addison, I wanted to look back on a few of the excellent walkoffs the Cubs have had so far this year. My top three are below, but feel free to add your favorites in the comments.
3. Pete Crow-Armstrong’s redemption
It’s been hard to find a hotter hitter in baseball than Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong in the month of June. PCA has been firing on all cylinders since late May, but part of what makes him so fun to cheer for is his humanity. He pulls off superhuman feats in the outfield and rakes at the plate, but he’s human and makes mistakes like all of us. Like allowing this inside the park home run I’m sure he’d rather forget [VIDEO].
Don’t get me wrong, a walkoff is a walkoff. They are all great in their own way. But the playoff atmosphere combined with Seiya making contact off of one of the best pitchers in baseball was pure vibes. It added to the drama that Seiya had struggled head to head against Miller:
After all, who wouldn’t struggle to make contact against a guy who throws 102 on the corners? But last night, Miller threw mostly sliders rather than his patented heat. He threw seven pitches, only one fastball. Both Alex Bregman and Seiya were ready for the offspeed pitches. The post-game celebration was pure joy [VIDEO].
1. Michael Conforto walks off the Reds
One of the strangest success stories for the Cubs this season has been Michael Conforto. The 33-year-old grabbed the last outfield spot on the bench out of Spring Training, which was honestly a bit of a surprise given Dylan Carlson’s hot spring and his ability to play center field. But Conforto has delivered as a pinch hitter, a part-time role player, really whatever role Craig Counsell has asked him to play.
On May fourth Conforto helped the Cubs continue their second 10-game winning streak of the season when he sent this Emilio pitch into the left field bleachers for his first career walkoff home run [VIDEO].
It’s hard to believe that it’s still June and we’ve already had 10 magical walkoff nights at the baseball cathedral at the corner of Clark and Addison. Maybe that’s just what happens when a talented team is beset by injuries but keeps finding ways to fly the W. Share your favorite walkoff moments in the comments below.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 16: Willson Contreras #40 of Team Venezuela looks on during batting practice prior to the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Italy at loanDepot park on Monday, March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
“It’s not easy just to show up and play with everything that’s going on in my country.”
Willson Contreras didn’t mince words following the Boston Red Sox’ victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, as shared by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. It’s immensely difficult to operate under these circumstances, just as it is for several of his teammates.
Contreras, Ranger Suárez, Carlos Narváez, Andruw Monasterio, and Wilyer Abreu all hail from Venezuela, which was hit by twin earthquakes last week that have left at least 22,619 people affected, 5,034 injured, and 1,700 dead, according to CNN. It’s difficult to say anything more than the players have, both with their words and emotions – all of which have come out over the last several days.
Contreras let it all go following his first-inning home run on Monday. “I wasn’t feeling good the whole day. I was kind of down, sad,” Contreras said, per Healey. “I hit a homer, and of course, I tried to help [pump up] my dugout. But the first thing that I said was ‘Venezuela.’ That was the first thing that came out of my mouth.”
Suárez did his best to suppress the emotions while out on the mound for the second time since the tragedy struck, turning in another terrific performance before admitting that “it’s obviously very hard to be here when you want to be out there physically trying to help, but at the end of the day, we’re trying to do our best to try and support them.”
Abreu, who had two notable errors over the weekend, also admitted how difficult things have been, saying “It’s very hard to play right now with everything that’s going on in Venezuela, but we’re doing everything we can to stay focused on the game,” as seen on NESN.
The Red Sox, organizationally, have done what they can to support the players and their community, setting up a relief fund that will directly impact search and rescue efforts in La Guaira and Caracas. If you would like to donate, click here.
It’s nice to see that the boys are rolling, with five straight victories setting a new season high. It’s also fairly easy to feel for them through such an emotional time. We’ve spent months harping on the negatives and clinging to the positives, but for right now, it would be nice to just lend some support.
James’ announcement comes on the day of free agency, which officially begins at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday, June 30.
ESPN insider Shams Charania first reported that James, 41, informed the team that they can begin to move on without him as he pursues his NBA future as a free agent.
James joined the Lakers in the summer of 2018 and has spent the last eight seasons in L.A., leading the team to an NBA championship in 2020, where he was named Finals MVP. He was named an All-Star every season he played in a Lakers' uniform. James averaged 25.9 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game on 51.3% field goal shooting and 35.6% 3-point shooting during his eight seasons in LA.
The big announcement which came from James' agent, Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, has sparked interest and think pieces around the sports world. Many expressed their gratitude for James, including former teammate Luka Doncic, Lakers president Jeannie Buss and Laker legend and former president of basketball operations Magic Johnson.
Here’s how the sports world reacted:
Sports world reacts to LeBron James not returning to Lakers
I want to thank LeBron James and his super agent Rich Paul for taking a meeting with me back in 2018 when I was President of the Lakers and deciding to sign with us. He created a whole new era for the Lakers, including leading us to an NBA Championship in 2020 and all the…
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 30, 2026
Breaking: LeBron James will continue his NBA career for the 2026-27 season and has informed the Lakers that the franchise can move on without him because he will play elsewhere, his agent told @ShamsCharania. pic.twitter.com/3uYVROBrH1
"This feels like a breakup that you want the other person to do the breaking up. Like, I think the Lakers are ready to move into the Luka Dončić era of Los Angeles."
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 16: Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After showing promise in his sophomore season, the Lakers will continue investing in Bronny James.
On Monday, the team guaranteed Bronny’s contract for next season, set at $2.3 million, by keeping him on the roster. Keith Smith of Spotrac reported the news on Tuesday.
Bronny James' contract with the Los Angeles Lakers became fully guaranteed for $2.3M yesterday.
Naturally, given how LeBron’s free agency is currently playing out, the assumption is to tie the decision on Bronny’s with LeBron. Fans will certainly race to that conclusion. But Bronny has been his own player and treated as such for quite some time.
The Lakers have spent quite a bit of time developing Bronny. For the first year and a half of his time in LA, Bronny’s playing time with the parent Lakers was either ceremonial minutes with his father, in garbage time or in games where players were being rested en masse.
However, late in his second season, he emerged as an option off the bench amid an injury crisis. He played well enough to see minutes in the postseason and had a memorable moment alongside LeBron in the series against the Rockets.
Even if he was phased out of the rotation as the games started mattering more, it was not just a sign of progress, but the first time Bronny had looked like a rotation-level player.
For the Lakers, it was enough of a sign to keep him around for next season. His contract is now fully guaranteed for the season, meaning he’ll likely be on the roster barring a trade.
Former Detroit Red Wings top prospect Sebastian Cossa wasted little time settling into his new organization, agreeing to a two-year contract extension with the Utah Mammoth worth $2 million per season, according to insider Frank Seravalli.
The deal comes shortly after Cossa arrived in Utah via a trade with Detroit during Friday night's 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo. The Red Wings sent the towering goaltending prospect to Utah in exchange for the 23rd overall pick, a selection Detroit used to draft Kamloops Blazers forward JP Hurlbert.
The move signaled a clear shift in direction for the Red Wings' crease plans, while giving Utah a young netminder many view as a future NHL starter.
Cossa, drafted 15th overall by Detroit in 2021, spent the past season delivering one of the most dominant performances in the AHL. Playing for the Grand Rapids Griffins, the 6-foot-6 goaltender posted a 26-8-4 record to go along with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage across 39 appearances.
With his draft pedigree and physical tools, Cossa now gets a fresh opportunity in Utah for the next, where he's expected to push for meaningful crease time alongside incumbent Karel Vejmelka. The two-year extension locks in cost certainty for the Mammoth as they evaluate Cossa's readiness to handle a larger NHL workload, while giving the young goaltender stability as he transitions to a new franchise.
The Mammoth will likely ease Cossa into NHL duty, seeing if he truly is prepared for the jump to the top level. If not ready, Utah could continue to feed the 23-year-old AHL reps with spot starts as he adjusts to the pro level, though his AHL track record suggests he could push for a larger role sooner rather than later.
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DETROIT, MI - MARCH 25: Jock Landale #31 of the Atlanta Hawks boxes out during the game against the Detroit Pistons on March 25, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks have re-signed another one of their midseason pickups from last season. First, it was playoff hero CJ McCollum one a one-year, $21 million deal. Now, reportedly they locked down their Aussie big man with a similar offer per Shams Charania of ESPN:
Free agent center Jock Landale intends to sign a one-year, $14 million deal to return to the Atlanta Hawks, sources tell ESPN. Landale had a strong finish after being traded to the Hawks, averaging 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds last season, and his agents Sammy Wloszczowski and… pic.twitter.com/GfR3rzSlPY
The Hawks picked up Landale for essentially free (well, cash considerations), and he stepped into the role as the backup center after the team parted ways with Kristaps Porzingis.
He exploded for a career-high 26 points in his first game with Atlanta in a win over the Utah Jazz. Overall, he averaged 9.1 points (60% true shooting) and 4.1 rebounds per game on 19.4 minutes per contest in his 23 games after literally driving in his car from Memphis to Atlanta.
Most importantly is his ability to stretch the floor as a big, hitting 39% of his threes while forming a great partnership with his country-mate Dyson Daniels.
Unfortunately, a dirty foul by Goga Bitadze ended his regular season and postseason prematurely due to the ankle injury he suffered early April.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 31: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on March 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Veteran NBA insider for NBA on Prime and former beat reporter in Cleveland during the 2014-15 season, Chris Haynes, reported that the Cavs are indeed interested in adding James to the roster.
Cleveland Cavaliers have interest in a second reunion with LeBron James with the appeal of the franchise’s greatest player finishing his career where it all started, league sources tell me.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the 2016 championship shirt HERE.
It’s easy to see the appeal of a third tour of duty in Cleveland for both sides.
The Cavs are a good team, but are a playmaking wing away from being true championship contenders, as the New York Knicks showed them in their four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals. Adding James would give this roster the versatility needed to possibly get over the hump in the postseason.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that James is prioritizing “happiness, not money” next season. What that means is anyone’s guess. No one besides LeBron truly knows what he’s looking for in terms of happiness.
This is where playing for the Warriors could interfere with a reunion in Cleveland. Even though there are questions about whether an older core featuring Curry, Draymond Green, and Jimmy Butler could compete for a championship, James might not see it that way. And the appeal of teaming up with friends while staying in California may be too much for him to ignore.
There’s also the question about how much the Cavs could afford to play LeBron.
The Cavs’ roster currently has some flexibility. James Harden declining his player option for next season has the Cavs $42.1 million under the second apron. Harden is expected to re-sign, but the annual value could help the Cavs open up room for the taxpayer mid-level exception.
Additional moves would be needed if the Cavs were going to open up the full mid-level exception of $15 million. The Cavs are reportedly looking for suitors for players like Dennis Schroder, which could give them more cap flexibility. Additionally, a sign-and-trade with the Lakers could still be an option if the deal were to bring Cleveland below the first apron.
At this point, it’s anyone’s guess how this will play out or what James truly values. What we do know at this time is that the Cavs are interested in a LeBron reunion and have a roster that would allow him to compete for a championship next season. And they’re also close to some golf clubs he just joined.
We’ll see if that’s enough to secure his services for one last run.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - NOVEMBER 10: Collin Sexton #2 of the Utah Jazz goes to the basket during the game against Luke Kennard #10 of the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum on November 10, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We’ve arrived at NBA free agency day, the time of year when, if you’re not careful, your phone starts exploding with transaction notifications. It’s one of the busiest days on the NBA calendar, as free agency officially begins at 3 p.m. Arizona time.
For the Phoenix Suns, much of the heavy lifting has already been done. They’ve re-signed unrestricted free agents Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin, brought back restricted free agent Mark Williams, traded Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale for Miles Bridges, and selected Koa Peat in the first round of the NBA Draft.
As things currently stand, the Suns sit at a projected $208.9 million in salary, placing them just below the first apron. T
The team has 14 of its 15 roster spots filled. That’s not an unfamiliar position for Phoenix. The organization has often preferred to keep one roster spot open, giving itself added flexibility as the season unfolds.
But after sending out so much shooting in the trade for Miles Bridges, the Suns now have a glaring need. They need shooting off the bench. More specifically, they need a veteran presence who can consistently space the floor. So the question becomes whether they choose to fill that final roster spot today when free agency opens. Phoenix has roughly $6.1 million available through the mid-level exception to offer the right player. Whether they decide to use it immediately remains to be seen, but that’s what we’ll be watching throughout the day.
We shared names that could be available for the Suns to target, and a couple of those names have already fallen to the wayside. Landry Shamet is expected to return to the Knicks, while Kevin Huerter is going to re-sign with the Pistons. The list that Arizona Sports Suns insider John Gambadoro has been whittled down to the following:
Collin Sexton
Luke Kennard
Jordan Clarkson
De’Anthony Melton
At the same time, we’ll be keeping an eye on the rest of the Western Conference, evaluating every move and asking the same question after each transaction. Did those teams get better? And in comparison, did the Suns get worse?
Time to turn those notifications on. It’s NBA free agency day…
Apr 5, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers center Micah Potter (11) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers center Thomas Bryant (3) during the first half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
NBA free agency is in full swing and there’s a couple Hoosiers who are staying put with their current teams.
Thomas Bryant, who spent the 2025-26 season with the Eastern Conference runner-up Cleveland Cavaliers, recently inked a one year deal to return to Cleveland. Trayce Jackson-Davis, who was traded from the Golden State Warriors to the Toronto Raptors during the 2025-26 season, had his team option picked up by the Raptors.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Hoosiers today:
Jun 29, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners third baseman J.P. Crawford (3) throws to first base for a groundout against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
Remember that eight-game winning streak? Believe it or not, it happened! So, why haven’t the Mariners managed to replicate anything close to that kind of consistency since then? Or before? Hmm, no, nevermind, best not to think about the beginning of the season. The Meet at the Mitt podcast recently gently poked fun (or gently vented spleens) at this team’s situation with their version of the Blame Game, which I highly recommend giving a listen. But, this post is not about assigning blame. We’re here to blindly prognosticate with hope-filled guesses on when these Mariners will get their ducks in a row and go streaking again.
I asked folks in THE FEED to name a series, date, or range of dates and then we’ll see later who got it right or closest to it. And of course, we’re gonna rate some select takes using my patented and very scientific Mariners Hot Take Ranking System:
First off, I am not singling out this post/poster for the purpose of bullying, but it touches on a subject that I’ve long wanted to sound off on. I mean no personal offense by anything that follows. The Doomers have fully checked in at this point in the season and I can definitely understand why. As we all know, this team has been remarkably not fun to watch for most of the season so far as they’ve consistently played below their true talent level and expectations and have been riddled with injuries to key players. But! It is the year 2026, friends. The Mariners have made the playoffs in two of the last four seasons. The drought is over and the era of Mariners fan nihilism, doomerism, and fatalism are on the ropes, begging for one last clean shot to the dome for the knockout that all Mariners fans have so long deserved. There may be no joy without sorrow, but I implore us all to kill the doomer in our heads. That doomer no longer serves you. Do not replace it with blind ignorance, though. No, always retain a healthy level of skepticism for all things in life. But, expecting and assuming the Mariners will fail and finding comfort in that is something I believe we should strive to put to rest. I know it’s difficult. The warm blanket of apathy and gallows humor has always been there for us. And there may come a day when we will need that blanket again. But, it is not this day. It is not this season. This is Rick Rizz’s final season in the booth. This is the 50th season of Mariners baseball. If not now, when?
This take gets a BEAVAN for out-of-vogue doomerism, artisanally crafted or not.
Poster lockonstratos says: “Tomorrow is always another day, but imagine how it’s going to feel if the get-right feel-good win streak kicks off against the Angels and the Jays when they fly back home next week. Horrors banished, skin clear, day bright, smiling for the rest of the week type of deal. That’s the kind of dream I want to manifest.”
This take is already off to a good start with a George Kirby and Cole Young-fueled win over the Angels Monday night. Beating the brakes off the Angels always rules, but staying hot against the hated ornithological foes from north of the border? Mmm, yes, I would enjoy that very much, thank you. This take is not outrageous and feels fairly achievable, yet the joy it inspires is and would be immense, so I’m giving it a BOSIO for it’s workmanlike sense of grounded joy.
Poster Chris From Bothell wrote a long, very good post, but here are the most important parts: “M’s will surge in the final 3 weeks of the season, a 15-2 stretch that sees them beat every AL West team and win every series except the one against the Rockies, part of an overall 20-7 September. They will clinch at home against Houston, and if you freeze the correct frame as he walks back to the dugout after making the final out you will see the moment that Altuve realizes he is never going to a postseason game again unless he buys a ticket.
They’ll do it with a roster that has no one on the IL for the entire month of September, a roster that includes Donovan and Brash. They’ll do it with a resurgent power burst from Cal and the best individual months of Julio, Randy and Josh’s lives. They’ll do it with every starter going 6 strong, health intact and postseason rotation ready to rock thanks to Piggyback Power. They’ll do it because Munoz will not blow a save for the entire second half of the season.
And yes, they’ll do it with the worst defense in the American League because the Mariners care about winning, they just don’t care about your feelings. If the defense drives you nuts now just wait until they make at least 1 error in every game of the World Series but beat the Dodgers in 6 anyway.”
(/huge inhale)
YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH
Ahem, yes, very good stuff, Chris. The image you painted of Altuve gave me such electric feelings of schadenfreude that if it comes true, I could probably power a mid-sized American city with it. So, final three weeks of the season? Let’s mark it down. That means a lot more heartburn between now and September, but the payoff could obviously be worth it. Ranking this take a CLIFF LEE not due to a scorched earth nature, but because the end result could power 1000 suns.
Okay, folks, if you missed your chance to make your pick for when the Mariners will get hot again, do so in the comments. Or, debate the merits of doomerism versus hope and measured optimism. Either way, fingers crossed the hot streak starts soon and we can all start to enjoy watching this team win more games together. Go Mariners.
May 14, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder A.J. Ewing (9) celebrates his solo home run against the Detroit Tigers with right fielder Carson Benge (3) during the third inning at Citi Field. The home run was the first of Ewing's MLB career. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images
For all of the things that have gone wrong for the Mets season—and if we want to talk about anything else, let’s just leave it at that, lest we spend 1000 words outlining the various failures—the promotion and performance of both Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing has been a bright spot. And in a season with very few bright spots of any sort just yet, it’s worth noting just how bright.
Let’s just set some baselines to begin. 113 rookies have collected a hit thus far in 2026, and of those 113, Benge has the sixth most hits with 79, and Ewing ranks 25th with 41. 21 of Benge’s and 12 of Ewings hits have been for extra bases. Benge has 11 stolen bases, Ewing eight. Both have played above average outfield defense. Both were highly regarded prospects going into this season (#2 and #6, respectively, on the Amazin’ Avenue Prospect List).
Benge was being discussed for an Opening Day assignment as early as David Stearns’s post-season press conference in 2025, but it was still something of a surprise to see him make the roster out of spring training. He came out of the gate hot with a home run on Opening Day, but shortly thereafter fell into a slump that saw him make some silly defensive miscues while his batting average fell below .200 until May 6th.
Since then, Benge has been remarkably consistent at the plate. On June 6th, his batting average reached its highpoint for the season thus far at .265. It has not dropped more than 12 points since then, remaining on or around .257. All of this is worth 1.4 bWAR thus far in 2026, which puts him fifth on the club behind Juan Soto, Clay Holmes, Huascar Brazobán, and Luke Weaver.
More important than any one stat in his rookie season is the fact that Benge looks so comfortable in the big leagues. He is still learning the league, but hasn’t had a spell since he found his footing where he looked totally lost at the plate. For context, since May 13, Benge has had a higher batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage than Bo Bichette, a former All-Star who is making $42 million a year.
That isn’t to say that at the end of the season, Bichette will still be looking at Benge ahead of him in these statistics, but it’s more of a statement of just how good Benge has been at adjusting. Bichette is in the coldest stretch of his career, but it would’ve been insane to predict that Benge would be a more productive hitter halfway through the year than Bichette.
Ewing’s season started later than Benge’s, but he’s been just as impressive, if in slightly different ways. For Ewing, the story has been his defense, which at times has been flashy, but more often than not has simply been solid. He’s currently at one defensive run saved and one out above average for the season, but like with Benge, it is more telling how at home he looks in the outfield than what the stat line says at this point in his career.
Offensively, Ewing didn’t have the big dip in productivity that Benge did yet, and so his slash line of .275/.363/.416 has been more or less in line all season, though his slugging has seen a surge sine mid-June. He’ put up 1.2 bWAR, placing him fifth on the club, just behind Benge. Like both so many regular players and specifically rookies, Ewing is a prone to the strikeout, but it doesn’t look like he’s striking out always trying to hit a home run to win a ballgame. While both will obviously get amped up sometimes, both Benge and Ewing exhibit a level of cool that belies their ages.
Even if both go on long skids for the rest of the season, the Ewing and Benge experiments have worked out thus far. Things are going to get interesting if and when Tyrone Taylor, Luis Robert Jr. and Jorge Polanco return to the club, as Polanco will likely need to DH, forcing Soto to play the field, while Robert and Taylor each make the other somewhat redundant with the kids on the roster.
But unfortunately for Taylor and Robert, it seems like the dye has been cast and Ewing and Benge are not just the outfielders of tomorrow, but the outfielders of today. It is a little too early to start chatter calling them the outfield equivalent of David Wright and José Reyes, but it has been a long time since two Mets’ position player rookies have come up playing next to each other with skills on both sides of the ball and have the chance to do so for a long, long time.
TAMPA BAY, - MARCH 16: Henry LaLane #58 of the New York Yankees pitches during the 2024 Spring Breakout Game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 16, 2024 in Tampa Bay, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Pitching. Pitching. Pitching.
That’s been the strength of the Yankees’ farm system for the last few years, and this week was no different. With some key bats either currently on the shelf or joining the shelf late in the week, the focus was on the mountain of arms continuing impressive seasons or taking steps forward after disappointing starts to begin impressing.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Record: 3-3 (40-40), 2 GB in the International League East after a 3-3 week against the Indianapolis Indians (Pirates)
Run differential: +8 (+11)
Coming up: Home vs. Norfolk Tides (Orioles)
It was another tremendously close series for the RailRiders in their trip to Indianapolis, as four of the six games were decided by two runs or fewer. The three losses were by four runs combined, something that’ll surely leave a sour taste in their mouths due to poor late-game execution.
With George Lombard Jr. still out and Oswaldo Cabrera promoted due to Ryan McMahon’s injury, the cupboards are bare for a once-stacked lineup, relying significantly on recent Double-A call-ups. While Tyler Hardman and Marco Luciano have been perfectly passable, the real star has been Garrett Martin, who’s 9-for-34 with five extra-base hits in his first eight games in Triple-A. He’s one of four players in all of MiLB with 24 home runs, and the 26-year-old former UDFA is quickly making a name for himself. Unfortunately, he was placed on the injured list on Monday.
How's another Garrett Martin bomb for ya
109 mph 435 ft dead center off a low and away slider that didn't even catch his full barrel
His 3rd HR in AAA since getting promoted last week. Amazes me how this guy wasn't called up weeks ago, at minimum. This has been long overdue for… pic.twitter.com/UVqaRqhYNx
It wasn’t a fun week for the rotation. Well, except for Brendan Beck, who stayed incredibly steady with another seven innings of one-run ball on Saturday. Dom Hamel, Adam Kloffenstein, and Alexander Cornielle combined for four starts, with only one of them completing five innings. Elmer Rodríguez’s command abandoned him in his Friday start, as he walked six in four innings despite not allowing an earned run.
In the bullpen, it wasn’t a fun week. Two of the three losses saw the RailRiders holding a late lead, but losing it in the final two innings. In the other loss, Rafael Montero blew it in the sixth. Eric Reyzelman hasn’t been effective since returning from his back injury, allowing three runs in the bottom of the ninth on Saturday before Carlos Lagrange had a miserable outing to close the week, allowing five runs in 0.2 innings to take the loss.
Record: 2-4 (39-36), 2 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 2-4 week against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Blue Jays)
Run differential: +4 (+40)
Coming up: Home vs. Hartford Yard Goats (Rockies)
Somerset was able to come up with two strong wins during their first week of the second half, but they dropped the other four in all pretty close games, with the exception of a shutout loss on Tuesday. Their first-half stats don’t matter now, so bad weeks like this won’t go well.
It was a down week for guys like Jace Avina and DJ Gladney, something the offense can seldom afford with all of their big guns from April and May earning promotions. Coby Morales (7-for-20, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 2B, 3 BB) started to get his power stroke back, now having more home runs in 2026 than in his entire professional career prior, in almost 1,000 fewer plate appearances.
If anything, it was nice to see a good week overall from a rotation that had struggled all year. Cade Smith (6 IP, 1 R, 7 K) turned in a needed quality start on Tuesday, Xavier Rivas allowed one run in five innings, Jack Cebert (5.2 IP, 2 R, 6 K) was one out shy of a quality start, Ben Hess (4.2 IP, 1 R) had his longest outing since April, and Kyle Carr picked up another eight strikeouts. Struggles continued for Chase Hampton.
The bullpen was a bit rougher. Tony Rossi hasn’t been sharp since his promotion, while Trent Sellers has fully transitioned into a reliever with mixed results. Ben Grable continued his terrific month with more scoreless relief, while guys like Matt Keating and Harrison Cohen put up zeroes in big innings.
Record: 4-5 (35-39), 3 GB in the South Atlantic League North Second Half after a 2-4 week against the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays)
Run differential: +14 (+23)
Coming up: Home vs. Wilmington Blue Rocks (Nationals)
Hudson Valley tried to salvage a miserable start to the week after three consecutive one-run losses, but didn’t quite get the split after losing the series finale in the nightcap of a Sunday doubleheader. Their four losses were by five runs, and their two wins were by 18 runs.
The hottest hitter in Hudson Valley isn’t the Kaeden Kent’s or Core Jackson’s of the world, but it’s actually Wilson Rodriguez (10-for-23, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 2 2B, 2 BB), who’s been one of the better hitters in the entire system after an ugly April:
Wilson Rodriguez since 5/2: .297/.390/.485 – .875 OPS, 13.3 BB%, 18.4 K%, 7 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 129 wRC+
Wilson Rodriguez since 6/3: .333/.400/.640 – 1.040 OPS, 9.4 BB%, 18.8 K%, 4 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 161 wRC+
Kent, Jackson, and Eric Genther had passable weeks of their own while Enmanuel Tejeda cooled off. Shoutout to Roderick Arias, whose bat has started to show some signs of life after seemingly looking like a lost cause entering the month. He’s slashing .379/.423/.655 with six home runs in June after hitting just two with an OPS under .600 in the first two months.
Bryce Cunningham has made it three good starts in a row with another five solid innings on Tuesday. Luis Serna tallied nine strikeouts in six innings on Wednesday, but coughed up four runs, being outdone by Allen Facundo (5.2 IP, 1 R, 10 K) a day later. Rory Fox went a career-high eight innings as his recent good stretch continued, while Franyer Herrera got a seven-inning complete game shutout on Sunday.
Record: 6-3 (41-34), 0.5 GB in the Florida State League West after a 5-1 week against the Dunedin Blue Jays (Blue Jays)
Run differential: +4 (+27)
Coming up: Away @ St. Lucie Mets (Mets)
A very strong week for Tampa shook off a disappointing start to the second half, as they beat up on Dunedin by outscoring them by 13 runs on the week, dominating every game outside of a six-run defeat on Thursday.
Tampa had a strong week despite another slow week from Jackson Lovich and Hans Montero, as well as a so-so one from BMG. JoJo Jackson is really rounding back into form, but the biggest storylines have been the emergence of guys like Luis Puello and Luis Escudero. I want to focus on Escudero specifically, a 2023 international signing out of Panama who’s breaking out in a big way.
As the sample size gets bigger and bigger, his numbers continue to be eye-popping for a 5-foot-8 infielder. The 20-year-old is now slashing .297/.489/.672 with six home runs, 12 extra-base hits, and six stolen bases in 22 games. I’d say to keep an eye on him, but he sustained a left leg injury on Sunday and went on the injured list.
Luis Escudero is the most underrated NYY prospect right now
The 20yo is on no prospect lists, yet, thru 21 Lo-A games is hitting .290/.477/.661 with a 191 wRC+
The swing decisions are great, he doesn't whiff, and he hits the ball harder than you would expect given he's 5'8 pic.twitter.com/IhCOezkEWP
The pitching had another phenomenal week. Justin West got things started with eight strikeouts in five productive innings on Tuesday; Thatcher Hurd (4.2 IP, 0 R, 10 K) had the best start of his pro career on Wednesday; Henry Lalane was brilliant on Friday; Tyler Boudreau tossed six shutout innings on Saturday, and Brennan Stuprich was solid on Sunday. Wyatt Parliament was the lone weak link in a suddenly formidable rotation.
The bullpen bounced back in a big way. A hiccup by Greysen Carter notwithstanding, guys like Jose M. Rodriguez, Pedro Rodriguez, Jose Martinez, and Parker Seay settled back in after disastrous weeks last week. The real storyline, though, was Brian Hendry progressing in his rehab. The former 10th-round pick tossed three shutout innings on Saturday and has allowed just one run in 10 rehab innings across the FCL and Tampa.
Record: 21-21, 8 GB in the FCL North after a 2-3 week.
Run differential: +27
Both of the FCL Yankees’ wins this week were against the North-leading Blue Jays, but they lost the other three games and are now in danger of falling back to third in the division. It’s not fun.
Wilberson De Pena continues to lead the FCL in home runs, bashing his 12th of the season on Monday. Dexters Peralta is the only other player with even double digits in the entire league. Jose Castro cooled off a bit, Richard Matic continues to be a balanced hitter, and Leni Done is still hitting above .300. The one player especially struggling is one-time seven-figure bonus baby Francisco Vilorio, who’s below the Mendoza Line.
On the pitching side, Sabier Marte is sneakily becoming the most effective starter on the roster after another recent blowup by Omar Gonzalez. Blake Gillespie is injured, so the rotation is quite thin right now. Edinzo Marquez tossed a strong outing on Monday in relief, but the star in the bullpen continues to be 2025 UDFA Austin Breedlove out of Tennessee.
Once a DSL darling with exciting velocity as a teenager, he fell off the map after injuries stole much of his next three seasons. From 2023-25, he tossed just 53.1 combined innings in the FCL and Tampa, pitching with diminished stuff and velocity. It seemed like his stock had completely disintegrated. But similar to fellow Dominican native Carlos Lagrange, he bounced back after injuries derailed his status and now promises to become one of the most promising pitchers in the entire system yet again.
After a mediocre start to the season, Lalane has allowed just five earned runs across his last six starts, striking out 50 batters in 35.1 innings with just 10 walks to lower his season ERA to 3.09. His most recent start was his best as a pro, tossing seven shutout innings with a career-high 12 strikeouts.
His slider and changeup both registered whiff rates over 60 percent, but the most promising aspect might be his fastball’s velocity. This was the best his four-seamer has looked in years, registering an average velocity of 95.6 with 17 inches of induced vertical break. He even dialed it all the way up to 98.4 for a second-inning strikeout of Adam Hackenburg.
Full stop, this is a guy who’s shot himself firmly back into a top 10 prospects list, and with guys like Spencer Jones, Elmer Rodríguez, and maybe Carlos Lagrange potentially graduating by year’s end, we could be talking about a top 5 guy in the system again.
CHICAGO — The banged-up Chicago Cubs placed utilityman Matt Shaw and right-hander Ethan Roberts on the injured list.
Shaw has a sprained left hand and Roberts is out because of elbow inflammation. Outfielder Kevin Alcántara and right-hander Gavin Hollowell were recalled from Triple-A Iowa before a 3-2 victory over San Diego in the opener of a three-game series.
The 24-year-old Shaw was on the IL from May 20 to June 9 because of mid-back tightness. He hit .257 with two homers and eight RBIs in 14 games after he was activated from the IL.
“I think there’s a world where he’s swinging a bat by the weekend,” manager Craig Counsell said. “I think as soon as we get the inflammation out, we think we can move forward pretty quickly, so there’s a chance that one’s a minimum (stint).”
Shaw had been serving as Chicago’s primary right fielder since Seiya Suzuki hurt his right knee on June 13. Counsell said veteran Michael Conforto will get more regular time in right with Shaw out. Conforto hit an RBI single in the victory over the Padres.
The 28-year-old Roberts is the 13th Cubs pitcher on the IL. He has a 4.21 ERA in a career-high 23 appearances out of the bullpen. He pitched in 11 games in June.
“Ethan’s been one of the guys that has pitched a lot,” Counsell said. “I don’t think we have anything serious here, but it’s just, we got to give him a break, basically.”
Counsell said closer Daniel Palencia could begin throwing soon. The right-hander was placed on the IL on June 16 with elbow inflammation.
Starter Jameson Taillon is scheduled to throw live batting practice against Chicago hitters. The veteran right-hander strained his left hamstring in the second inning of a 2-1 loss to San Francisco on June 7.
