Sep 17, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Hurston Waldrep (64) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
The NL East-leading Atlanta Braves, who have acquired their 40th win on May 30th when it took them until July 9th last year, have made half an interesting active roster move on their off day.
The #Braves optioned RHP Anthony Molina to Triple-A Gwinnett following yesterday’s game, and outrighted RHP Carlos Carrasco to the Stripers.
Anthony Molina has been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. Molina was called up for the weekend series but never used. He will return to Gwinnett along with Carlos Carrasco apparently. Carlos Carrasco has been selected to the Braves and designated for assignment three times already. He will park the Cookie Carrasco Caravan in Lawrenceville for now until needed to soak up some innings. Today is an off day for both the Braves and Stripers and no corresponding move has been announced for either team. Rolddy Munoz looks to be the most appealing Gwinnett Striper on the Braves’ 40-man roster at the moment. Munoz has a 2.72 FIP for the season in Triple-A, and has a 13/6 K/BB rate with no homers in May. Also, Hurston Waldrep starts rehab today.
RHP Hurston Waldrep today begins a rehabilitation assignment with the FCL Braves.
Hurston’s 2026 season has yet to get off the ground, as he required surgery for loose bodies in his elbow. I don’t believe we know the timeline for Waldrep, but things are definitely happening.
The Larry O'Brien Trophy image will be back on the court for the 2026 NBA Finals. So will the classic script logo.
It became a social media controversy during last year's NBA Finals when there was no image of the NBA's championship trophy on the court. The NBA has special courts made by all 30 teams for the NBA Cup to make them stand out, but here was the league's biggest stage and the court itself looked like it would for a Tuesday night game in January. It sent the league scrambling during the Finals.
This year, the logo will be at center court for both teams.
This is the first time the large trophy decal will be on the court since 2009. It went away because previously it had been applied as a sticker back in the day, and that sticker got slippery and endangered player safety. Now, it will be painted on the court (with a laminate over it), so there is no issue.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 26: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers walks off the field after striking out 12 batters his career best during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at American Family Field on April 26, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
One of my main memories from the 2010 World Series season was being stuck in Las Vegas while the Giants played a 4-game series in Milwaukee. I’m not a gambler and I’m not a dirtbag and so Sin City doesn’t really do it for me and so all I had to look forward to was the Giants trying to hold their season together.
After dropping 3 of 4 in Colorado (the finale being the infamous game where Bruce Bochy pinch-ran Eli Whiteside for Buster Posey), they went to Milwaukee and swept a 4-game series to kickoff the second half of the schedule, going 51-30 the rest of the season. I don’t pretend that this series will turn around the long-dead 2026 Giants, but after yesterday’s fluky win, maybe rolling right into another series against a much better team gives them some added fight they’ve been missing all year long.
Easier said than done, of course, as the Brewers are — once again — one of the best teams in the sport. After running a 19-7 record in May, they have the fourth-best record overall (35-21) and run differential in the sport (+74) and the sixth-best home record (19-11). Their 268 runs scored is just 11th, but they’re tied with the Dodgers for #1 in pitching value (+9.8 fWAR). They’re 3rd in team ERA with 3.17. The Giants are none of these things and it’s almost unfair to the Brewers that they have to risk their better roster getting hurt or momentarily embarrassed by a team that probably should take the rest of the decade off. On the other hand, the beauty of baseball is that top teams can be embarrassed by stinky teams from time to time.
So, on paper, this should be an easy sweep for the Brewers with nothing new learned about our unbearably awful 2026 Giants, but at the same time, either in success or failure, this could be a valuable bonding experience for the team, perhaps as it was all the way back in 2010. Road trips are usually where fractured teams find their footing — or fall apart completely! I say all this because the vibes at the end of yesterday’s win were great and it was encouraging to see the players all pulling for each other. In previous wins like that, they’d usually follow it up with an off day. Not so here.
Yes, yes, the big story in this one will be that the Giants will face their former top pitching prospect, Kyle Harrison, who has bounced around since they traded him for Rafael Devers. The other little stories here:
This is the first 4-game home series for the Brewers in 2026.
The Brewers are “just” 12-9 against sub-.500 teams.
Forgetting yesterday’s win, the Giants have average 4.53 runs/game over their last 15 while the Brewers have averaged just 3.93. The difference? The Brewers have allowed just 3 runs per game while the Giants have averaged 5.8.
Series overview
Who: San Francisco Giants (23-36) at Milwaukee Brewers (35-21) Where: American Family Field | Milwaukee, Wisconsin When: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday at 4:40pm PT, Thursday at 11:10am PT National broadcasts: FS1 (Monday).
Projected starters Monday: Landen Roupp (RHP 5-5, 3.30 ERA) vs. Shane Drohan (LHP 2-1, 2.63 ERA) Tuesday: Trevor McDonald (RHP 2-2, 4.34 ERA) vs. Kyle Harrison (LHP 6-1, 1.57 ERA) Wednesday: Logan Webb (RHP 2-4, 4.82 ERA) vs. TBD Thursday: Adrian Houser (RHP 2-5, 5.59 ERA) vs. TBD
Players to watch
Brewers
Kyle Harrison: The Brewers were able to get Harrison to adjust his arm angle and that has made all the difference. We’re approaching a year since this Eno Sarris post which laid bare “the trouble with Harrison”:
Why I would trade Kyle Harrison: he’s a low slot high spin efficiency starter, like an Andrew Heaney. Very difficult to find secondary pitches that are elite for them, especially if they don’t turn over changeups well. Best is to hope velo stays up, develop many meh secondaries.
Of course, our Steven Kennedy was all over this when he broke down Harrison’s arsenal early last year, too, but the fact is that Harrison’s initial ace projection when the Giants drafted him had run into reality in such a way that the Giants moving on from him (and the Red Sox afterwards) only made sense. Of course, the Brewers are known for their pitching lab and look at what they’ve done (apologies in advance for Mark DeRosa being in this):
This season, he’s averaging 94.9 mph with his four-seamers (up +2 mph from his Giants days), and is slurve (which Steven had labeled his problematic pitch) has a .109 batting average against in 255 instances of it being thrown. A 27.4% Whiff rate right after his four-seamer (30.8%). Could the Giants have helped him make this adjustment? Probably not. If it were easy to do what the Brewers do then more teams could do it. Instead, the Giants got Rafael Devers for him and that’ll just have to do.
Andrew Vaughn & Jake Bauers: Vaughn hit the IL and Christian Yelich, too, and this gave longtime backup/platoon Bauers some run and he ran with the playing time, hitting .295/.354/.523 over the last 2 weeks with 3 homers and 11 RBI in his last 12 games. Meanwhile, Vaughn missed all of April and came back in May to slug .351/.431/.526 in 65 PA. He hit just 1 home run but 7 doubles in 20 hits.
Christian Yelich & Jackson Chourio: He has just a .710 OPS (58 PA) since returning from the IL on May 12 from a groin strain but is a notorious Giants Killer, hitting .293/.374/.479 in 68 career games. Meanwhile, Chourio was a young player signed to a massive extension last season (a trend that picked up this past offseason across the sport) and dropped a bit from a .791 OPS player to .770. He’s at .721 so far this season. Can the Giants tiptoe around this talent or will his bat wake up against them and spark a slightly struggling lineup?
Brewers’ bullpen: Milwaukee has the second-best bullpen in baseball for value (2.9 fWAR) behind only the Padres (3.9). Lefty Aaron Ashby is 9-0! There’s a little weakness in the closer role, with flamethrowing Abner Uribe having ceded the role to veteran Trevor Megill, but this is a tough group, and the Giants might once again find themselves unable to mount a comeback after the 5th inning.
Giants
Willy Adames: Last season, he had an overall great time against his former team, with a pair of homers in 7 hits and 5 walks against 4 strikeouts (.269/.375/.500 in 32 PA) in 7 games. Over his last 15 games, he’s hitting .311/.358/.672 (67 PA) with 5 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 5 walks against 14 strikeouts. Remarkably, it was almost immediately after I published this post about Willy Adames being the captain of the team that he started to annoy fans and pundits alike with his too-friendly ways with the opposition and his overall brain-less play in the field. Will he have 30 errors this season as Tim Kawakami surmised in the San Francisco Standard last week or is this return to Milwaukee, coupled with his hitting hot streak, a pivot point in his season?
Logan Webb: It was a questionable decision to bring the Giants’ most important player back from the IL in Colorado of all places, but the move worked out okay. He wasn’t good in his start against the Rockies, but allowing just 1 run in 4.1 innings wasn’t bad, either. Okay, you know… he was more good than bad. The Brewers’ lineup will be another big test for him, though.
Luis Arraez: .375/.424/.571 over his last 15 games (67 PA) with 3 doubles, a triple, a pair of homers, and 9 RBI along with 4 walks and just 2 strikeouts. For his career, he’s just a .264 hitter when facing the Brewers, and in Milwaukee, just .274 in 17 games (68 PA). With the Brewers starting at least two lefties in this four-game series, figure he won’t be white hot, but his bat still might be critical.
Giants’ bullpen: 25th in MLB by value (-0.2 fWAR) despite a 3.69 ERA (12th) overall. They’ve also held a not-terrible 3.85 ERA on the road, too, and with a Brewers lineup that is more “fine” than “awesome,” this might be a decent matchup for them to hold a narrow lead late in the game.
Tony Vitello watch
Milwaukee’s manager Pat Murphy was kinda-sorta known as a “college coach” before taking the Brewers job, but unlike Tony Vitello, he was a pro (signed with the Giants in 1982 and played in the minors), a special assistant in an MLB front office, a minor league manager, and finally a bench coach on a major league staff before being named as manager. Far from the same, but we’ll hear the comparison being made — and drawn as being much closer than it is — at least once this week (probably on the national telecast).
Prediction time
My last two times in the prediction corner have been spectacular flameouts (won’t get swept by Diamondbacks and the Giants will hit at least 5 home runs in Colorado). Will this be another one? The Giants won’t have double digit strikeouts against Kyle Harrison in Tuesday’s game. They’ve only struck out 10+ times in 13 games this season. Now, Harrison might K nine Giants or something and the Brewers’ stellar bullpen carves up the rest, but the former top pitching prospect of the Giants will, at best, only mildly embarrass them.
In just their third year of existence, the Florida Panthers did something pretty remarkable.
Led by a grizzled group of veterans and a hot goaltender, the Panthers went on an incredible run during their first ever playoff appearance.
Florida took down the Boston Bruins in just five games to open their playoff run, but then shocked the league when they knocked out the top-seeded Philadelphia Flyers in six.
The Panthers then found themselves facing off against Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference Final.
When the series began, the Panthers had some momentum at their back after winning three straight games to close out the Flyers in round two.
Florida used that to their advantage, stunning the Penguins in their home barn and taking Game 1 by a 5-1 final score.
The Penguins went on to win three of the next four games, including a 3-0 victory over Florida in Game 5 at The Igloo.
With the backs against the wall and facing elimination for the first time in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Florida found a way to scratch and claw their way to victory in Game 6.
During a back-and-forth third period, the packed Miami Arena broke into a frenzy when Rob Neidermayer banged home a Terry Carkner rebound right off an offensive zone draw, breaking a 3-3 tie with 6:02 to go.
The 4-3 score would hold up, sending the series to a winner-take-all Game 7 back in Pittsburgh.
On that night, June 1, 1996, the Panthers sent shockwaves across the NHL by advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in just their third season.
Unlike in each of the past five games, Florida never trailed during Game 7.
Cats forward Mike Hough put the Panthers on the scoreboard first, finishing off a nice passing play on a 2-on-1 with rookie defenseman Robert Svehla.
That’s how the score remained until the third period, when a shot by Peter Nedved with Pittsburgh on the power play got past John Vanbiesbrouck just 83 seconds into the final frame, tying the score at one.
Just under five minutes later, Florida forward Tom Fitzgerald carried the puck through the neutral zone and, just as he crossed over the Penguins blue line, wound up and fired a slapshot that somehow eluded Pens goalie Tom Barrasso and went into the top of the net.
The surprising goal suddenly put the Panthers in the driver’s seat, and from that point on, they did a good job of limiting the high-powered Penguins offensive opportunities for much of the remainder of the game.
Eventually, Florida did get an insurance goal.
With Bill Lindsay leading the Panthers on a 2-on-1 from their own blue line, the wise winger went wide with the puck, allowing linemate Johan Garpenlov plenty of space in the Penguins zone to set up for a shot.
Eventually, Lindsay slid the puck to Garpenlov, who wound up and fired a one-timer that went off Barrasso’s stick and up in the air, landing over the goal line with just 2:37 to go.
That ignited a celebration that, for many of us at the time, didn’t seem real.
Now for those wondering, the Panthers did touch the Prince of Wales Trophy that night.
Regardless of your feelings on superstitions, it’s a fact that Florida is 0-2 at the Stanley Cup Final after touching the trophy and 2-0 in the Final when keeping a respectful distance.
Getting back to the point at hand, Happy June First, Panthers fans!
Beating the Pens in a Game 7 at the Igloo was a truly extraordinary feat.
For those old enough, I hope you all take a moment to remember where you were and how you felt on this day 30 years ago.
Photo caption: Unknown date, 1996; Miami, FL; USA; FILE PHOTO; Pittsburgh Penguins forward Mario Lemieux (66) in action against Florida Panthers forward Johan Garpenlov (29) during the 1996-97 season at Miami Arena. Mandatory Credit: RVR Photos-Imagn Images
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - MAY 30: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Seven of the NBA Western Conference Finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’ll never forget Tim Duncan leaving the floor for the last time in Oklahoma City. A talented, interesting, and ultimately lacking Spurs team had just lost to the Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Timmy slipped off the court, raised his hand briefly, and disappeared into the tunnel. Blink and you miss it. The Spurs as we knew them were done.
I remember panicking in that moment because you could tangibly sense that something bigger than basketball was leaving with him. I wasn’t sure what things were going to look like moving forward, but I knew I’d never experience anything like it again.
Sure enough, I spent the next ten years settling into that feeling. Understanding how the rest of the world lived and just exactly how scary it is out there. Star players decide they want to leave. The playoffs aren’t some birthright you’re entitled to. You lose a lot. You check out from time to time. That thing I was so scared of when Tim walked off the court did come to pass. It really was over. Sure, it became less scary the more it became our reality, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t still a little sad. Every season felt a little bit more like a cold reminder that not only was what we had singular, it was also finished. We should just be grateful we got to see it at all.
I had fully accepted all of that. Made my peace with it. Spurs fans don’t get to have nice things forever, and that’s fine. That’s basketball. That’s life.
This season has been special though. Frankly, everything has been a little special since that ping pong ball bounced our way three years ago, but this is the season where it really started to click. Where this team stopped feeling like an idea and started feeling like a reality. It was a familiar feeling, even if I think a lot of us were still keeping it at bay. We’d made our peace, right? The other shoe had come. We’d had our golden era. We’d had our time in the sun. Ignoring the evidence piling up in front of us seemed prudent. Necessary. Wise, even.
So yeah, I wasn’t really expecting this game to cleanly close the loop on Duncan’s last dance. It didn’t occur to me that it was even something that was on the menu. The thing about making your peace with something is that you stop looking for it. You can’t recreate what Tim Duncan was. I’d accepted that. What I hadn’t considered was that maybe you don’t have to.
The other night in Oklahoma City didn’t feel like a recreation. It didn’t feel like an echo. It felt like something new that somehow carried the same specific gravity that made those old Spurs teams feel like more than basketball. These kids have never really known a Spurs team that mattered. They’ve heard about it. They’ve seen the highlights. They play under those banners every night and they know what it means. But they carry themselves with the focus and urgency of a group trying to build something of their own. They put on the silver and black and inherited the franchise the same way you might inherit a house. Maybe you didn’t build it, but it’s yours now.
For the rest of our lives, we get to remember guys like Julian Champagnie, who hit six threes in a Game 7 on the road. He didn’t exactly win the game on his own, but he went out of his way to disprove my theory that there can only be one Champagnie Game. In the third quarter alone, off the same Wemby screen run again and again, Champagnie just kept shooting. Kept making them. A guy who by every reasonable measure should not be here and should not be capable of meeting this moment was absolutely owning it.
We get to tell stories about Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson. These are guys who lived through the other version of this. They absorbed every tough stretch and false start, every early exit, every “we’re building toward something” speech that probably started to feel a little hollow after a while. Every trade rumor too, and there were plenty of those. They took all of it in stride, kept showing up, kept believing in what this thing was becoming. Last night Keldon was out there hitting impossible threes and Devin was throwing down exclamation point dunks as time expired. They celebrated harder. Laughed louder. When it was over they looked like guys who understood exactly what it had taken to get there, because they were there for all of it.
And then there’s Victor Wembanyama, who doesn’t fit neatly into either group. He’s not a veteran carrying the weight of the bad years, but he’s also not some kid unburdened by history. He’s something the league hasn’t quite seen before. Importantly, he’s also not Tim Duncan, something that’s worth saying out loud every once in a while.
They play differently. They carry themselves differently. They almost feel like they come from different planets entirely. Tim seemed to float above everything, a silent pillar, steadfast and consistent. Victor crashes into it, a wild and extraordinary talent bursting at the seams, always pushing against the edges of what’s possible. The contrast is almost remarkable. And yet somehow, in this moment, the feeling was the same. Twenty-two points. Seven rebounds. Western Conference Finals MVP. Quiet in result if not in method, and without any apparent concern for how impossible this was all supposed to be.
Tim Duncan raised his hand and walked into that tunnel ten years ago and left something hanging in the air that I eventually stopped looking for. Saturday night, in that same building, down that same tunnel, Victor Wembanyama walked off the court, and I felt something I hadn’t felt in a long time. Not relief, not joy, but something closer to recognition. Like the answer had been coming all along and I had just stopped asking the question.
Whatever is happening right now might feel familiar but, rest assured, it’s something else entirely. The Wembanyama era isn’t going to look like the Duncan era. They probably aren’t going to win five titles over the next decade. They probably aren’t going to set the standard for professionalism. They certainly aren’t going to do it quite so quietly. What they are going to do is make it their own. The possibilities are endless.
We’re not going back and we never were. What we are doing is moving forward. This isn’t a return at all.
It’s an arrival.
How amazing is that?
Takeaways:
I can’t believe we got our LeBron James chase down block moment and that Luke Kornet was the one who did it. Or should I call him by his full official title, “The Much Maligned Luke Kornet”? Lost in the sauce of how crazy that play was is that I think my body almost had a full blown panic attack at the turnover that preceded it. Harper, God love him, trying to force that pass into Luke, and Hartenstien screaming in front of it and then racing down the court. Can you imagine a seven footer trying to run a fast break? Where does he even get these ideas? Anyway, the idea of I-Hart of all people being the one to make this amazing play and draw the score back to a four point game almost ended me. The crowd was going to erupt and my insides were going to leak out of my ears. I don’t know how Kornet got there so fast. I don’t know how he got it so clean. I don’t think I want to know. Some miracles don’t need to be explained.
I can’t believe the Thunder led twice in this game. Excluding Game 1, it felt like in this series that shifting momentum back once you lost it was almost impossible. Like we were only allotted one big swing, and if you let the other team regain the upper hand it was over. When Shai caught fire in the second quarter, every alarm bell in my head went off, blaring about how we’d seen this movie before. The craziest part is that I didn’t even really have time to have a panic attack. The Spurs calmly just regained control. Fox hit a three. KJ scored. Fox hit another three. They just shut it down. The half ended and I was out of breath, like, what just happened?
Same thing when Caruso put them up in the second half. 61-60. Before I could even recognize the icy dread closing around my throat, Jules banged in a few threes and we were off. I think it was like a 16-2 run directly from that moment. It was like the Thunder put everything they had into clawing back that lead and all the Spurs had to do was outlast them. Y’all, Game 7s are insane.
I’ve been steadfastly avoiding even thinking about the concept of playing the Knicks in the Finals because, obviously, that would’ve been a death blow to the Spurs chances here (yeah, I guess in a way it is like I’m on the team, thanks for asking). But now, oh my god, I can’t believe we’re about to play the Knicks in the Finals. This is going to be insane. The dirtiest basketball secret I hold in my heart is that I kind of love watching playoff games at MSG because it’s fun watching that crowd go insane and the arena is so old school and all the celebrities, etc. It’s very fun! The concept of our sweet boys rolling into that cauldron as the enemy sort of hurts my heart. Please allow me like 10 more minutes to grieve before I put my game face back on.
Have you inquired yet about getting a press pass for the Finals?
No, look, as much as I think it’d be swell to go cover these in person, I think it would go against the integrity of what I do here to actually be in the building for one of these.
You think so?
Yeah, I mean, what I do here is raw. Right? Like, this is pure, uncut fandom over here. I’m not out there hobnobbing with the big shots on media row acting like some capital J journalist. I’m over here getting real. I’m writing notes on the back of a Moana coloring book with a red crayon about disliking Chet Holmgren’s face. I’m spinning up charming anecdotes about my dogs perking up whenever they see Carter Bryant on screen because “Real recognizes Real.” Plus, I think if I ever saw Tim Bontemps in person I’d need to be escorted out by security.
So, on the record, if you were offered a press pass to one of these finals games, you would politely decline?
Hello?
It’s gone quiet on your end, everything ok?
Hi, sorry, the connection got choppy, didn’t hear that last question.
You would turn down a press pass and a chance to cover the Finals in person?
Look, pal, you’re breaking up, let’s pick this up later, GO SPURS GO!
ST CATHARINES, CANADA - MARCH 5: Nikita Klepov #98 of the Saginaw Spirit carries the puck against the Niagara IceDogs during the first period at Meridian Centre on March 5, 2026 in St Catharines, Canada. (Photo by John E. Sokolowski/Getty Images) | Getty Images
We continue our profile series on 2026 NHL draft prospects today with a look at Nikita Klepov. As the headline states, Klepov is a highly-talented playmaker with elite skill when the puck is on his stick. After bulldozing the OHL this past season, Klepov has set himself up to be drafted very high in this year’s entry draft. Might the Devils be interested in Klepov when they’re on the clock? Let’s dive in and try and determine just that.
Who Is Nikita Klepov?
Nikita Klepov was born on June 27, 2008, making him a relatively young player in this draft. Despite his Russian heritage, and despite growing up in Russia, Klepov was actually born in Deerfield Beach, Florida, according to Elite Prospects. Klepov is a lefty-shooting winger, and is listed at 6’0”, 181 pounds.
Per his page on Elite Prospects, Klepov does not have much in the way of trackable numbers from his days playing in Russia. However, Klepov moved to the United States ahead of the 2023-24 hockey season, where he played for the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Knights program for two seasons. In his first taste of North American hockey, Klepov absolutely laid waste to the U15 level while playing for the Knights, posting a bewildering 31 goals and 72 total points in 22 games played. The things you see at the youth level. The next season, 2024-25, saw Klepov make the jump to the USHL, playing for the Sioux City Muskateers. He came way back down to earth thanks to that step up in competition, but Klepov still put up a respectable 12 goals and 31 points in 59 games. He followed this up with a goal and two points in five playoff contests.
This past season was where Klepov really made his move up draft boards. He entered the OHL, playing for the Saginaw Spirit, and in his first year playing at the top level of Canadian junior hockey, Klepov led the entire OHL in scoring with 97 points (37 goals, 60 assists) in 67 games. Saginaw only played four postseason contests this season, but Klepov held up his end of the bargain, posting a goal and five points in those matches.
Klepov has built a track record of production ranging from solid to outrageous over his youth career. And this track record was enough to land him an offer from Michigan State to play in their program. Klepov accepted, so he will continue to play hockey in Lansing come autumn time.
Where Is Klepov Ranked?
#8 by NHL Central Scouting (North American players)
#13 by Sportsnet (Bukala)
#15 by Sportsnet (Constantino)
#16 by The Athletic (Wheeler)
#19 by Daily Faceoff
#20 by TSN (Button)
#21 by McKeen’s Hockey
#25 by THN (Kennedy)
#29 by Smaht Scouting
#44 by The Athletic (Pronman)
What Others Have To Say About Klepov
The first scouting report we’ll look at is from Sam Constantino of Sportsnet. Constantino is among the highest on Klepov in the public sphere, ranking him 15th overall. Here’s what he had to say about the young man:
Klepov is fantastic with the puck on his stick, especially on the power play. He’s ultra-creative and exhibits patience when making plays. He uses elite puck skills along with sneaky-quick feet to buy himself time and space while opening up lanes to release shots, or find others in better areas of the ice. Although he finished just shy of 100 points, Klepov led the entire OHL with 97 points, a rarity for a first-year player in the league.
Get used to hearing about Klepov’s puck skills and offensive hockey sense.
Next, we’ll go to Scott Wheeler of The Athletic, who has Klepov just behind where Constantino does at 16th overall. Here’s part of his blurb on Klepov:
He sees the ice at a very high level as a passer and has legit power-play skill, blending little fakes and hesitations into his handles to throw defenders off his scent. He also skates well enough, though I wouldn’t call him fast, and creates a ton of entries and high-danger looks with his craft on the puck…it was really positive to see him go to scoring areas, compete and finish more plays for himself at five-on-five this season (he was among the OHL’s leaders in shot and chance creation) instead of defaulting to out-wide playmaking. And while he’s not the most physical player and there are times when I’d like to see him reach in a little less, he doesn’t give up on plays when there’s a puck to be won, he does compete, and he has good sense defensively.
Another scout that is completely sold on Klepov’s playmaking and puck skills. Here we also see mention of his skating, which Wheeler seems to say is about average, though perhaps with above-average shiftiness.
Next, here’s Smaht Scouting, who are lower on Klepov than Constantino or Wheeler, placing him at 29th overall:
Nikita Klepov is a skilled, offense-minded winger whose game is built around puck protection, vision and creativity, but whose skating limitations significantly shape his projection. His stride is noticeably clunky, with poor lower-body connection and balance issues that limit his speed and make him vulnerable in transition, particularly through the neutral zone. To his credit, Klepov is aware of these deficiencies and plays around them well, using strong puck protection, intelligent first touches under pressure, and quick puck movement to get himself into workable space rather than relying on foot speed. In the offensive zone he’s versatile and dangerous, capable of creating from the half wall, drifting off puck to find shooting lanes, or planting himself at the net front, and he flashes high-end vision through his passing in transition and breaking down defensive structures with his passing in the offensive zone. However, his effectiveness drops sharply against heavy, physical pressure, as seen in a game against Windsor, where he struggled to evade forechecks or separate from defenders and found himself continuously knocked off the puck by physical defenders when attempting to create off the rush. While his effort level defensively is solid and his offensive instincts are clear, Klepov remains a space-dependent creator with a nasty shot from distance who can punish teams when given time but currently lacks the skating base to consistently generate that space on his own. Assuming the skating gets better he projects as a solid scoring option in the middle-six who could be a passenger on a top-6 scoring line.
That’s pretty all-encompassing. It’s worth noting how down on Klepov’s skating they are compared to Constantino and Wheeler. Devils fan might also take Klepov off their boards just for the bit about him wilting against “heavy, phyisical pressure” alone. Still, Smaht Scouting does say that Klepov has enough self-awareness and effort to overcome his perceived lack of skating ability, and they also heap a ton of praise on him for his offensive talent and puck skills. We also see another mention (the first coming from Wheeler) of his defensive game, which seems to be solid but far from high-end.
Finally, let’s take a look at the biggest outlier on our list: The Athletic’s Corey Pronman, who has Klepov down at 44th overall on his big board. Whereas most everyone else has Klepov in the mid- to late-first round, Pronman has him ranked in the middle of the second round. Here was his breakdown of Klepov:
Klepov is a highly skilled and intelligent winger. He has the ability to run a pro power play and make difficult plays consistently at the next level. He’s a solid skater who can generate chances with pace. His effort level is fine, although he’s not that physically imposing and can be pushed to the outside. He’s talented, with NHL power play and scoring ability, but I’m not sold that his talent is special enough for his average athleticism and effort level to be a full-time player, although he’s on the bubble.
He also graded his skating, hockey sense, and compete as “Average” while grading his puck skills and shot as “Above Average”.
Scouting The Tape
We’ll start with a shift-by-shift video of one of Klepov’s postseason games from this past spring, courtesy of the Youtube channel Prospect Shifts:
We’ll also include a highlight video of some of Klepov’s most impressive plays of the 2025-26 season from Youtube channel HSD Prospects:
My Opinion And Final Thoughts
I can see why Klepov is a tantalizing prospect to many. To my admittedly very amateur eye, he does seem to have an advanced offensive game. Some of the moves he pulls off are great, and the hockey IQ he flashes is genuinely elite. It’s hard not to dream on him becoming the next great scoring winger in the NHL.
I also do see a level of skating that, while not bad per se, needs some work. I do see a heavy stride that could potentially limit him at the next level. And while I do see him actively engaging physically and staying active on the defensive end, it seems to me that it’s more effort than production. In other words, even though I give Klepov credit for putting effort into the less glamourous side of the game, that effort isn’t enough to make him a truly top level defensive winger. But his willingness to grind defensively and in the physical side of the game gives me hope that, in the right hands, he can develop into a good defensive winger someday.
In the end, I’m not quite sure I’d want the Devils to use their 12th overall pick on Klepov if he is available at that slot. The offensive game is strong, and this organization is in desperate need of more offensive talent, but there are enough holes in his game and questions about projectability that make me want to go in a different direction with a pick that high. Now, if he happens to be there when the Devils make their next pick in the second round? Then I’m sprinting up to the podium to make the pick.
Now that I’ve had my say, let’s hear what you think. What do you make of Nikita Klepov? Are you as excited about his offensive talent as other scouts seem to be? If he’s there at 12, would you want the Devils to take him? As always, thanks for reading!
CHICAGO, IL - CIRCA 1987: Danny Darwin #44 of the Houston Astros pitches against the Chicago Cubs during an Major League Baseball game circa 1987 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. Darwin played for the Astros from 1986-90 and in 1996. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
He pitched for 20 seasons, 8 clubs, and was a member of the beloved 1986 Astros. The Legends Series 20th installment features Danny Darwin, who amassed 171 wins throughout his career.
Q: What did you think of Nolan Ryan’s nickname of “Dr. Death” for you? Did you like it?
A: (laughs) Oh My God! You know if someone hit a home run off me, I would really stare them down, and I didn’t even realize I was doing it. He just always called me that.
Q: Over the course of 20 seasons, you had so many battles, who did you really relish facing when they stepped to the plate?
A: Jim Rice and Frank Thomas come to mind. I rarely got Garry Templeton out, it felt like every time he’d faced me, he went 4 for 4 (laughs). I did actually strike him out the last time I faced him, and I got him to sign me a ball. He was just one of those guys, every pitcher has one.
Q: That 1986 team. Did you agree at the time with Hal Lanier’s logic of saving you for the World Series and not pitching you in the NLCS?
A: My theory on that was that you have to win the game that you’re playing before you can play the next one. I did get up and warm up in the late extra innings and I still get letters from people. Everyone makes decisions. I don’t have any regrets; it was a privilege to play with those guys.
Q: That was such a special year for this city. What was that year like as a member of that team?
A: It was maybe the most fun I’ve had in baseball. We were such a close-knit club. We had so much depth. We had two of everything, we had a pair of great third basemen and short stops. It was unheard of. Everyone contributed in some form or fashion. It was fun to go to the ballpark.
Q: What was it like coming back in 96′ for a second stint?
A: More aches and pains (laughs). Seriously though, I didn’t have a ton of run support in Pittsburgh and Jim Leyland told me that he’d send me to a contender. I was third in the league at the time at the All-Star Break in ERA and he dealt me back to Houston. I couldn’t pack quickly enough. I loved playing in Houston. I went back and all the guys, Bagwell, Biggio, Drabek, we had all known each other, so it was like going home.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 22, 2026: Kade Morris #12 of the Athletics throws a pitch during the fourth inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Hohokam Stadium on March 22, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Welcome to another new week A’s fans!
The homestand was not kind to the Athletics. First they got swept in the middle of the week by the Seattle Mariners before dropping two of three to the Yankees this weekend. They now sit at 28-31, which is tied for second in the AL West and two and a half games behind those M’s. The team’s hot start has definitely cooled, similar to last year when a tough May all but doomed any playoff ambitions. Hopefully things don’t get that bad in June.
Looking for a spark, the team has decided to promote one of their top pitching prospects in Kade Morris, a right-handed pitcher that ranks among the better pitching prospects in the Athletics’ farm system:
The #Athletics will be calling up RHP Kade Morris, per sources.
Morris, 23, is the organization's No. 12 prospect. He is 5-3 with a 4.45 ERA and 49 strikeouts in 11 starts this year for Triple-A Las Vegas.
The Modesto native will finally be making his big league debut after just over three seasons in the minor leagues. The right-hander originally was a third-round draft pick by the New York Mets but spent just a season and a half in their system before being shipped over to the Athletics in 2024 in exchange for former All-Star starter Paul Blackburn. Blackburn’s time in New York was brief and bumpy but the A’s were able to extract a quality prospect in Morris for their former staff leader.
Since joining the A’s Morris has shown improvement year-over-year, making it to Triple-A last season where he spent the bulk of the year. The Las Vegas environment didn’t exactly lead to huge numbers but he held his own as a 23-year-old facing the toughest hitters in the minor leagues.
His yearly improvement continued this year as he looked more in control and comfortable now that he’s had some experience against Triple-A hitters. Over 11 starts so far for the Aviators this year Morris has a 4.45 ERA spanning 60 2/3 innings of work. That number was a lot lower for the majority of the season but he recently got roughed up in back-to-back starts where he allowed eight and then five runs, pushing his season ERA from 3.76 to 5.48. The strikeouts are on the lower end of things as he’s just collected 49 punchouts compared to 26 walks but he’s also kept the ball on the ground at a good clip, allowing just eight homers in that hitter-friendly enviornment.
Morris is also on a bit of a roll right now as he’s put together two very strong outings in his two most recent assignments. With the Athletics stumbling right now and having lost Luis Severino to the IL, now seems as good a time as any to let Morris get a chance to show what he can do at the big league level. And after Jacob Lopez’s continual struggles continued yesterday it seems there may be two open spots in the starting rotation. One of those spots will almost certainly be Gage Jump’s spot in the rotation (he’s slated for the start tomorrow evening). The team currently doesn’t have a starter scheduled for the series finale against the Cubs on Wednesday so that may be the day we see Morris take the mound for the first time in an Athletics uniform. Stay tuned.
This is about as blunt as Mark Kotsay will get in postgame comments. A roster shakeup is imminent with a season-defining June on the horizon. #Athleticspic.twitter.com/5APqaDoC4d
BINGHAMTON, NY - APRIL 08: Jonathan Santucci #21 of the Binghamton Rumble Ponies pitches during the game between the Somerset Patriots and the Binghamton Rumble Ponies at Mirabito Stadium on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 in Binghamton, New York. (Photo by Kylie Richelle/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
With the second month of the minor league season in the books, we‘re checking in on the top 25 Mets prospects who made our list ahead of the 2026 season.
In April, McLean looked like a true top-of-the-rotation ace pitcher. That outlook began looking bleaker in May, as the right-hander turned in a couple of solid outings and a couple of true stinkers. Overall, while McLean may have been punching above his weight a bit prior to really settling in and the league having time to adjust to him between his 66.1 innings this year and his 48.0 last year, I am not worried overall. As I said during the off-season, I don’t think McLean is going to settle in as literally one of the top pitchers in baseball, but I think he will be a better-than-average contributor overall.
The Mets stuck with Benge despite his early season struggles, and opting to let him play out of his doldrums has since paid dividends, as the outfielder has arguably become the Mets’ best player outside of Juan Soto. There are still some things that Benge needs to do, such as hitting for some more power, but it’s hard to not be pleased with his progress as a player so far in his brief professional career.
Tong looked solid at the beginning of the month before having a terrible start in mid-May, allowing 6 runs in 1.2 innings against the RailRiders. Due to circumstances, the Mets called him up to Queens and he made a pair of appearances out of the bullpen, the first of which he looked sharp and the second less so. The right-hander is clearly not where he was last season, with the organization altering almost everything that brought him success, from his arm slot to his repertoire to his pitch usage percentages; here’s hoping he adapts sooner rather than later (or never). Also: his ERA with Syracuse for the month of March/April and well as May was 5.68, resulting in a MiLB season ERA of 5.68. I’m freaking out, man.
I had some reservations about the organization promoting Ewing from Double-A to Triple-A so quickly, but they then raised the ante by promoting him to the big leagues about a week-and-a-half or so. Outside of an exciting first week, where he made Mets history by being the first batter to hit a triple in his MLB debut and hit his first big league homer, Ewing hasn’t exactly lit the world on fire. He hasn’t truly struggled at any point yet, but the outfielder needs to start hitting for some more power to show that he truly belongs.
Reimer is starting to get his legs under him following a sluggish start, but the infielder still isn’t quite where you’d want him to be. We are getting very close to the sample size between his excellent 2025 and his 2026 season being the same, and Reimer has regressed in every way possible. There’s nothing obvious in his batted ball data that would suggest why his Double-A BABIP plummeted from a healthy .340 last season to a weaker .278 this season, but here we are. Hopefully, more hits begin landing in the coming weeks and that number rises above .300.
After a slow start in virtually every stat, Clifford has gotten off the schneid, cutting back on his strikeout rate a tad and hitting for the kind of power that we know he can hit for. Despite adding 5 doubles, 1 triple, and 8 more home runs to his season tally in May, the slugger is still just a scratch neutral offensive contributor for the season. His walk rate is roughly 5% below the norms he set over the last few years, and Clifford needs to bump that back up a bit.
Watson had a disastrous April, posting a 6.89 ERA in 19.1 innings over five games, and lo and behold: after another disastrous start at the beginning of May, he was placed on the injured list due to an oblique injury.
Wenninger cruised through April and seemed well on his way cruising through the month of May as well, but about halfway through the month, he completely cratered. After shutting out his opponents in his first two starts, he then allowed a pair of runs in 2.1 against the RailRiders, four in 5.1 innings against the Buffalo Bisons, and four in 4.0 innings against the Red Wings.
It’s hard to gauge Mitch Voit, who was supposed to be a somewhat advanced college hitter. His performance in 22 games with St. Lucie last season after being drafted? Easy to write his struggles off because of the circumstances. His performance in 38 games with Brooklyn this year so far? A bit less easy to write off due to the circumstances, but we can’t completely ignore the fact that being a right-handed hitter in Brooklyn. I am not particularly enthusiastic about Voit’s upside and his ability to reach it, but it is still way too early to give up hope.
Jonathan Santucci wasn’t bad in April, but there were things he could improve. The southpaw had a much better May, cutting down on walks and boosting his strikeout rate. He is still a little more hittable than you’d want, but outside of that, his surface level stats look strong as well as the advanced public metrics that we have access to.
Peña had himself an excellent April, especially relative to his age, but he cooled down a bit in May. He’s still drawing a lot of walks and is not striking out excessively, so I don’t think there’s any reason to panic. Going forward, I would like to start seeing some more extra base power from him, as he already has extremely positive LD/GB/FB percentages and could use them more in his favor with some more baseball aggression.
Thornton was promoted to Triple-A Syracuse at the beginning of the month and looked solid in the two games he made there- so much so that the Mets opted to call him up to Queens over other potential starters to make a spot start. His MLB debut did not go that well, nor did his last start against the Rochester Red Wings at the end of the month after he was sent back down to Syracuse.
Nick Morabito had a strong start to the season but started tailing off by the end of April. In May, his offensive slide continued. Be that as it may, the Mets called the outfielder up in the middle of the month. He looked completely overmatched at the plate but flashed some leather in the fielding opportunities that came his way. He was optioned back down to Triple-A a few days later, with the Mets citing that they wanted him to play everyday rather than spend a considerable time on the bench waiting for favorable match-ups to pencil his name into the line-up for.
After missing all of April, Gordon returned to the mound in mid-May after making a few rehab starts with St. Lucie. The right-hander has unfortunately looked terrible in the four games that he’s started, making it past the third inning in just one of those four starts. He was hit hardest in his first two games upon returning, and has been unscored upon in the following two, so hopefully the right-hander just needed a little more time to get his feet under him.
If Chris Suero could elevate the ball a little more, he would be in the midst of a really strong season. The catcher currently has a 10% line drive rate, 46.3% groundball rate, and a 43.8% flyball rate. If he could turn 5-10% of those ground balls he is hitting into line drives, his BABIP would increase, increasing his batting average, and his slugging percentage would likely get a nice little boost. Suero is never going to be a .300 hitter, but with his ability to talk a walk, a little more average and a little more slugging would make a very nice offensive player.
Ross missed most of April and has not looked good in May at all. He appeared in 4 rehab games prior to being activated with Syracuse, but the right-hander does not look like the same pitcher he was last season. He is walking just as many batters as he is striking out, and not only is he allowing a lot of contact, but he is allowing a lot of loud contact, with 3 home runs allowed in just 11.1 innings.
Lambert was his normal, wild self in April, but he was much improved in that regard in May, cutting down on his BB% from a 17.1% to a 12.9% while increasing his K% from a 31.4% to a 41.9. If the right-hander can maintain those kinds of numbers for another few weeks, you might as well punch his ticket to Queens- Lambert is who he is and is always going to walk batters, but if he can walk closer to 4.9 per nine instead of 6.5 per nine while maintaining a strikeout rate between 10-15 K/9, that’s a usable relief pitcher with major league value.
After struggling in April and the beginning of May, where he was one of the worst offensive players in the entire organization, Jimenez was placed on the Developmental List in mid-May. He returned at the end of the month, assigned to St. Lucie, and has since had slightly better results over the course of a few games, albeit in a less difficult setting.
Lantigua was held back in extended spring training to help nurse a core injury, finally getting on the field at the end of April with St. Lucie. He appeared in a few games in May but was placed on the 7-day injured list on May 10 after hurting himself while sliding. A week later, he was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Serrano had a cool April but cooled off even more in May, logging fewer hits, hitting for less power, drawing fewer walks, and striking out more. Serrano was projected as a late-blooming roll of the dice when he was initially drafted, but over roughly a full season’s worth of games at Single-A, High-A, and Double-A, we have yet to really see the outfielder grow into himself yet.
Guzman more or less mirrored his solid start to the year in May, his batting average and on-base percentage rising a bit thanks to a more favorable BABIP. If the young outfielder continues what he is doing right now and continues accumulating some counting stats, it would be hard not to imagine a promotion up to High-A Brooklyn sooner rather than later.
Gutierrez had a bad April, but has really cratered in May. He is making so much poor contact, either by hitting groundballs or flyballs at noncompetitive launch angles that his BABIP not only dropped from .216 in April, but it dropped considerably, to .136 in May. Despite solid walk and strikeout rates, Gutierrez isn’t making enough contact to begin with, and more often than not, when he does, it is extremely poor contact.
Baro sustained a right shoulder injury prior to the start of the 2026 season and was expected to return to the field around the All-Star Break, but the infielder returned to action much earlier than expected, getting assigned to the FCL Mets for a rehab assignment on the 21st and going 2-5 with a strikeout in 2 games.
Vargas started the month on the injured list due to a shoulder injury, but he was reactivated on May 19 and got into 9 games at the end of the month. His numbers were more or less the same pre-injury, so it would seem there are no lingering issues. That said, Vargas has a very limited upside to begin with, so his version of “normal” isn’t really all that great.
An engraving depicting a young girl who has suffered from syncope, a temporary loss of consciousness usually relating to insufficient blood flow to the brain. The other girl uses smelling salts to revive her friend. Dated 19th century. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Recaps
[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks swept by Mariners as offense disappears – The Arizona Diamondbacks couldn’t get any offense going for the second straight day in their 3-2 10th-inning loss to the Mariners, getting swept for the third time this season.Arizona managed just three hits in the game, leaving starter Merrill Kelly without any support. Kelly pitched 5.1 innings and gave up two runs on eight hits with two strikeouts. On the other side, Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo each pitched five innings to get the Mariners through 10 innings of work. Miller threw five shutout innings, allowing just one hit and a walk, and Castillo gave up two runs (one earned) on two hits and two walks.
[AZ Central] Diamondbacks swept by Mariners, Dodgers series up next – “I thought we did a lot right,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “But there were some very critical moments today, and in the other two games that we lost, where we didn’t execute at the high level that we’ve gotten used to. That’s the difference between wins and losses.” Several such moments occurred in the 10th inning on Sunday. First, the Diamondbacks were unable to cash in their automatic runner in the top of the inning. Then, shortstop Geraldo Perdomo couldn’t make a difficult play in the bottom of the inning, allowing the winning run to score. Carroll and Ketel Marte, the Diamondbacks’ explosive 1-2 punch, were largely held in check over the three games. Marte went 0 for 12 with three walks; Carroll was 3 for 14 with a double.
[roundtable.io] Diamondbacks Lose in Extra Innings to Mariners, Leave Seattle Getting Swept – The Arizona Diamondbacks had plenty of reasons to be sleepless in Seattle this weekend. But, Sunday’s 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Seattle Mariners might make them even more sleepless. With the victory, the Mariners finished off a series sweep over the Diamondbacks. If that wasn’t bad enough, Seattle has now won six straight games. Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly went 5.1 innings for manager Torey Lovullo. He gave up two earned runs, eight hits, walked two, struck out two, and surrendered two home runs. Kelly now has a 5.06 ERA this season.
Team news
[Dbacks.com] These guys will rebound’: D-backs can’t wallow with Dodgers up next – It will be Arizona’s second look at the Dodgers, but its first since the opening series of the season when the Diamondbacks were swept in three games in Los Angeles. “I don’t think anybody has any doubt that we’re still playing good ball, and we’re still a good team,” Kelly said. “It’ll be nice to be back home. For some reason, for me, I don’t know if everybody else, this road trip — even though it was only a week — felt long. But I think it’ll be good to get home and sleep in our own beds, and we’ve got to pick up right where we left off, and keep trying to keep grinding at-bats and keep going.”
[SI] Mariners Hit Diamondbacks with Worst Possible Reality Check – It’s no fault of Arizona for winning the game they had scheduled. Teams play who they play, and the Diamondbacks’ job was to win as many of those easy games as possible to stack wins for a tougher incoming scheduleBut when the harsh reality of a higher-quality opponent hit, the Diamondbacks could not find a way to even squeak out one game. That is a major concern, especially with four games against the Dodgers looming. The Mariners are a good team. The Diamondbacks losing a series after four straight series wins and a 31-24 record could be overlooked. To be completely held at bay and swept by a team that has had its own fair share of struggles this season is a bad omen for Arizona’s abilities in front of the more brutal opponents lying ahead.
[Sporting News] Diamondbacks have a huge Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly problem – For as good as things are going overall, there are still some concerning issues with the team, as is the case for every team in Major League Baseball. But, for the Diamondbacks, the big issue with the team is a lot more concerning. Both of these pitchers returned to the Diamondbacks this offseason on free agent contracts, with Kelly signing for two years at $40 million total with a 2028 vesting option, and Gallen for one year at $16.2 million with deferrals to $22.025M total. Kelly has been better recently, posting a 3.51 ERA in his five starts this May, with two against the struggling San Francisco Giants, and one each against the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and Colorado Rockies. Through 12 starts this season, Gallen has a 5.16 ERA with -0.5 bWAR. Contrary to how Kelly has been great in May, Gallen has collapsed this month. In six outings, Gallen has a terrible 7.04 ERA with 24 runs allowed in 30.2 innings pitched.
And, elsewhere…
[ESPN] Meet the man behind the Savannah Bananas’ moves – Harrison deftly designs routines that emphasize charisma over technical precision and spotlight the teams’ natural showmen while camouflaging the players with two left feet. He also has the rare skill set — and patience — to teach dances to athletes who, not long ago, didn’t know an 8-count from a full count. Sometimes he has mere hours to choreograph and just as little time to teach his routines to the players. “The greatest thing about Maceo is that he waits for everybody to get on the same page,” says Chris Clarke, the Tailgaters’ 6-foot-7 right-hander who played five years in the Chicago Cubs’ minor league system. “If there’s a right kick, he’s waiting for everybody to make that move before he goes on to the next instruction. Just like any good kindergarten teacher, he leaves nobody behind.”
[MLB.com] ‘Misunderstanding’ from young fan leads to Sánchez’s early exit with wrist injury – Sánchez isn’t so eccentric that he actually intended to play catch with spectators during a mound visit amid Toronto’s 9-5 loss to the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at Camden Yards. Yet that’s how a pre-teen fan among the announced crowd of 34,476 on the Orioles’ Youth Sports Day interpreted the right fielder’s sixth-inning banter, launching a ball in his direction after he had turned back toward the infield. That set off one of the more unusual injury sequences in recent memory, ending with Sánchez leaving the field with a bruised right wrist.
[New York Post] Yankees rout A’s after erupting for wild 13-run third inning that lasts 43 minutes – Looking back, the most remarkable feat accomplished here Sunday afternoon may have been that across eight combined innings, the Athletics faced the minimum against the Yankees. That’s because for one inning in between — a 43-minute top of the third — they faced a Yankees parade. The Yankees began the third by having their first 12 batters reach base safely and scoring 10 runs before they made the first out. And their stupefying rally did not stop there.By the time the marathon inning was over, the Yankees had sent 18 men to the plate, with 15 of them reaching and 13 of them scoring — one shy of a franchise record that has stood since 1920. They racked up 11 hits — incredibly, none of them leaving the park — four walks and four steals, seeing 75 pitches from three pitchers.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - MAY 31: Shane McClanahan #18 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a baseball game at Tropicana Field on May 31, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a day of crooked numbers for much of the American League East. The Yankees rode their 13-run (!) third inning to victory over the Athletics. Meanwhile, Boston and Toronto were on opposite ends of high-scoring games with the BoSox emerging victorious as the Jays got routed by Baltimore.
Unfortunately for New York, Tampa Bay also won on Sunday. The Rays’ victory means the Yanks gain no ground on the division leaders. The two clubs are tied in the win column but the Rays have three games in hand. One of those games will be made up Monday with the Yanks off while Tamps hosts the cellar-dwelling Detroit Tigers. Go Detroit… words I don’t often say.
Tampa Bay Rays (36-20) 5, Los Angeles Angels (23-37) 2
It is probably asking too much for the stumbling, bumbling Angels to take a series from the AL East-leading Rays. They gave it the old college try, however, blowing out Tampa Saturday after choking away a late lead Friday. Sunday, the Rays didn’t quite lead wire-to-wire to take the series, but it was close. After the two clubs swapped runs in the opening two innings, Tampa plated two in the third, giving them a lead they never surrendered. First, Victor Mesa, Jr. drove in a run with a single. Then, Cedric Mullins drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 3-1.
The Angels managed to close within one but in the seventh Tampa kept tacking on. After Ben Williamson singled in a fourth Rays run, Yandy Díaz walked with the sacks juiced to make it 5-2. I’d say the Angels should stop walking guys with the bases loaded, but on a day when Angels pitching walked nine Rays in total, it was probably inevitable a couple of them happened at the worst possible time.
Shane McClanahan was nails outside of the run he allowed in the second inning. The southpaw threw five innings of one-run ball, lowering his season ERA to 2.45. For his career, he’s now pitching to a 2.96 ERA with a 1.09 WHIP. He also now has a 1.29 career ERA against the Angels in five starts, spanning 28 innings. I suspect they’re getting mighty sick of McClanahan, who looks like he’s back in peak form after missing all of 2024 and 2025.
Other Games
Toronto Blue Jays (29-31) 5, Baltimore Orioles (28-32) 9: This was the very definition of “not as close as the box score suggests.” Thanks in large part to a Colton Cowser three-run home run, Baltimore bullied Toronto early, staking themselves to a 6-0 lead through three innings. For Cowser, who’s had a miserable last year-plus at the dish, that had to feel good. Not content, the O’s scored three more in the sixth to go up 9-0. The Jays broke the goose egg in the run column in the seventh and then salvaged some dignity with a four-run eighth. The loss leaves the Jays nine games back of the division-leading Rays as the calendar turns to June.
Cleveland Guardians (34-27) 4, Boston Red Sox (25-33) 9: The BoSox are another team looking at a big deficit early, though they picked up a win Sunday. The seventh was the key inning: trailing 4-3 when the stanza began, by the time Boston finished hitting they scored six to take a commanding late lead. Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single gave Boston a 6-4 lead then a pair of former Yankee legends took over. First, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled in a run, continuing his strong start at the plate (in admitttedly limited playing time). Then, Caleb Durbin, off to a horrific start at the dish, plated two more with a triple.
Seattle Mariners (31-29) 3, Arizona Diamondbacks (31-27) 2 (10 innings): Piggybacking two established starting pitchers off each other seems like a good way to annoy the crap out of both of them. But it seems to be working for the Mariners with Bryce Miller and Luis Castillo. The former got the start and hurled five shutout innings, lowering his ERA to 1.71, before handing the ball over to the struggling Castillo. Castillo surrendered a narrow 2-1 Seattle lead in the eighth, allowing a Ketel Marte sacrifice fly to plate the game-tying run that eventually sent this to extras. With Castillo entering the game in the sixth, he still had plenty left in his arm and kept the D-Backs from plating their Manfred Man in the top of the tenth. In the bottom, a Victor Robles single off old friend Jonathan Loáisiga brought home the winning run for the AL West-leading M’s.
There is a man close to my age who works at a grocery store in my neighborhood. Often, when the weather is nice, I’ll see him sitting outside his SUV during his lunch break playing his guitar. He’s not busking for tips; he’s just enjoying the sunshine and playing because he loves to play. Every time I see him playing, it warms my heart.
There’s something special about a person who continues to do something they love just because they love doing it.
Sal Perez loves to play baseball. We all know that. He plays with a joie de vivre that we rarely see, and I think that is one of the reasons we love him so much. Despite that, we’re seeing the final chapter of Salvy’s career. As of this writing, despite some signs of him warming up, Salvy is hitting .206, well below his weight, and many of his at-bats have been ugly. Sal’s kryptonite has always been the slider down and away. He loves swinging at that pitch. But this year has been a different story. We’re talking at-bats that are mud-flap ugly. Coyote ugly.
Sal’s 36 years old and sometime this summer, he’ll have played in more than 1,800 big league games, with over 1,400 of those coming at catcher. He’s currently #43 all-time in games caught, and if you’ve played any baseball in your life, at any level, you know how demanding the catcher position is.
You’re involved in every play, so there’s no mental or physical break. You get nicked by foul balls and wild pitches. Every so often you get hit by a wayward bat. You wear a lot of protective gear in hot weather. It’s a physically demanding position, and we haven’t even talked about the wear and tear on your knees, shoulders, and hips yet. It’s amazing that at age 36 he can still do it – and do it well.
That said, Father Time comes for all of us. At 36, Sal is still a very young man, but in the cruel world of sports, except for maybe golf, he’s an old-timer. When the end comes for baseball players, it’s often ugly. I’m old enough to remember seeing Willie Mays stumbling around the outfield for the New York Mets in 1973. Willie was 42 at the time and one of the all-time greats, but man, it was tough to watch.
Same with Harmon Killebrew. The Killer spent the final 106 games of his career in Kansas City during the 1975 season, trying to squeeze out one last day in the sun. Killebrew, one of the game’s all-time great power hitters, could only muster 14 home runs and a .199 average before realizing it was over. Even though he looked like he was 50, Killebrew was only 39 at the time. That’s how misleading and disconnected sports are from real life. Ancient on the field, young man everywhere else.
The great ones rarely walk away at the top. The confidence that drove them to become one of the very best is the same confidence that keeps telling them they’ll right the ship and start hitting again. There comes a day when they’re listening to a lie. Maybe they realize it, maybe they don’t.
In my lifetime I can recall only a handful of great ones who walked away before they cratered. Jim Brown did. So did John Elway and Barry Sanders. Of course, those are all football players. I can’t think of any baseball players who walked away when they still had a little gas in the tank.
Henry Aaron, one of my favorites, and arguably one of the greatest ever, played until he was 42. Same with Stan Musial. Steve Carlton, as good a left-handed pitcher as ever lived, hung on until he was 43. His legendary stuff was long gone by then, but Lefty loved to play ball. Ted Williams, who has a legitimate claim to being the greatest hitter ever, played until he was 41. Ted still hit .316 at age 41, which is amazing. He probably could have squeezed another year or two out of his body, but even the greatest hitter ever knew when it was time to hang it up.
It’ll be a sad day when it’s finally over for Salvy. He’s been one of my favorite Royals ever, one of the greatest Royals ever, and I’ll miss seeing him on the field. He’s my wife’s favorite baseball player of all time. He’s a lot of Royals fans’ favorite player of all time. Maybe Salvy finds a way to turn back the clock and squeeze a few more home runs out of that bat.
Once it’s over, he’s got a statue and a sure-fire induction into the Royals Hall of Fame.
I love to read, and most of this winter and spring, I’ve been laboring through Life: The Autobiography of Keith Richards. I like the Stones and have always been fascinated by Richards, but man, it’s a tough read. Speaking of old, I saw the Stones in Boulder in October 1981, and I thought Keef was old then! The funny thing is, he was only 37, almost the same age Sal Perez is now. If you’d offered to bet me $100 that he’d still be alive in 2026, I’d have taken that bet. I finally gave up on the book about halfway through, but I’ll try again when the weather cools off.
In the meantime, I picked up Jeff Pearlman’s book The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson. Having much more interest in Bo than Keith, I sailed through it, polishing it off within a week. If you’ve followed Bo’s career, a lot of the book will be familiar. Despite that, there was still lots of new material I hadn’t been aware of. Pearlman did an outstanding job covering Bo’s early years, his Auburn years, the drama leading to his selection by the Royals, and his time in Kansas City, including his relationship with the front office and his teammates. He also did an excellent job detailing Bo’s rehab and comeback.
Fascinating stuff.
If you were fortunate enough to see Bo play baseball or football, you knew you were witnessing one of the greatest athletes ever. Jim Brown deserves a seat at that table, along with Jim Thorpe. Brian Jordan and Deion Sanders will have their backers. But there was something special about Bo. It was a magical time.
The other cool thing about the book was on page 309: a quote from our very own Max Rieper!
If you’re looking for something light and entertaining for the beach, you can do a lot worse than The Last Folk Hero.
In worthless baseball trivia, did you know that in the last 65 years, only one team—the 2014–15 Royals—lost a World Series Game 7, then came back and won a ring the next season? I’ve said many times before: from the 2013 All-Star break to the final out of the 2015 World Series, those Royals were the best team in baseball. They were a joy to watch.
With so many pitchers going under the knife, I came across this wonderful quip from Tommy John:
“Prior to my surgery, I asked the surgeon to put in a Koufax fastball. They did, but it was Mrs. Koufax’s.”
John won 124 games and made one All-Star team in the 12 years prior to the surgery that now bears his name. He came back as a different pitcher but still managed to win another 164 games, make three more All-Star appearances, and pitch for 14 additional seasons.
His arm finally gave out after his age-46 season. With so many of today’s fireballers blowing out their shoulders and elbows, there must be a lesson in the Tommy John story.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 21, 2026: Tate Southisene #19 of the Atlanta Braves warms up during the third inning of a Spring Breakout game against the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Gwinnett Stripers ended their week with a very narrow, late fall, to the hands of the Nashville Sounds. After striking early, the Stripers were held in check by the Sounds thanks to some very unfortunate production with runners in scoring position – going 3-for-14 while also grounding into three double plays.
Austin Gomber picked up the spot start for the Stripers, who have seen a number of pitchers cycle between Gwinnett and Atlanta, and was good as he surrendered just one earned run across six innings of work along with five whiffs. The only really damage he allowed was a solo home run given up in the second inning, and would go on to retire the next 15 hitters. Hunter Stratton (0.0IP 2H 3ER 2BB 0K) would relieve Gomber and was just flat out bad as he allowed four runners to reach base without retiring a single hitter. He left the game with the bases loaded and was relieved by Rolddy Muñoz (1IP 1H 0R 0BB 1K) who would immediately induce a ground ball, but would surrender the final run charged to Hunter Stratton before ending the threat in the seventh. Connor Thomas (1IP 1H 0R 0BB 0K) pitched the final frame of the game – needing just seven pitches (six strikes).
Offensively, the Stripers struck first and they scored a pair of runs in the second inning. An RBI single by Jair Camargo with one out, would drive in Aaron Schunk who doubled to start the inning. Ben Gamel would follow up the Camargo hit with one of his own, as he would drive in Camargo to push the Gwinnett lead to 2-0. The Stripers wouldn’t really threaten again until the seventh inning with a Rowdy Tellez RBI double that would drive in Luke Williams to extend the Gwinnett lead to 3-1, before they ultimately surrendered three runs in the bottom half of the inning to re-gain the lead at 4-3, before taking the win.
The Emperors would fail to hold onto a slim 2-0 lead before eventually falling to the Dash to end the week, and series. Rome would be forced to use five pitchers, as starting pitcher Colin Daniel lasted just 3.2 innings. The offense would also struggle with situational hitting, going 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranding 10 on base.
The Emperors staff got off to a hot start as Colin Daniel originally was able to get through three scoreless innings but then it all unraveled in the fourth when he would allow three hits, two walks, and a hit by pitch to give up what was an Emperors lead. He would be relieved with two outs by David Rodriguez (1.1IP 4H 3ER 0BB 2K) who would end that bases loaded threat via strikeout, but would then surrender an additional three runs in the bottom of the fifth to push the Dash lead to 6-3. Logan Samuels (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K), Elison Joseph (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K), and Isaac Gallegos (1IP 0H 0R 0BB 0K) would shut down the Dash the rest of the game.
Offensively, it was a struggle for the Emperors as they could never get the big hit. They would threaten throughout the start of the game but were unable to drive in a run until the fourth inning when Dalton McIntyre start the festivities by hitting his first double – driving in Mason Guerra who had walked earlier. Right after, Mac Guscette would reach on error to put runners on 1st and 2nd with 1 out. Isaiah Drake would follow that up with a force out to the pitcher, but thanks to some chaos on the base pads it drove in the speedy Dalton McIntyre from second. They would tack on another run in the sixth inning with this John Gil single that would score Mason Guerra. That would be the last time a runner would reach base until a one out single by John Gill but it would not lead to anything as Rome would fall once again.
The GreenJackets leaned on strong starting pitching and hard hitting offense to score eight runs and pick up the win to end the series against the Cannon Ballers and once again find themselves tied for first in the Carolina League.
Davis Polo, coming off of a marvelous previous start (6IP 6H 1ER 0BB 6K) on May 24th, got the start for the GreenJackets and continued to look fantastic as he utilized all three of his pitches and was able to live at the bottom of the zone. The only run he surrendered came in the fourth inning after some self-inflicted trouble (1B, K, HBP, BB) but was able to work out of it with a weak force out that scored the run. He was replaced in the fifth inning after starting the inning of with a walk, and was replaced by Kendry Richard who has looked much better coming out of the bullpen than starting. Working with a lead, Kendry was able to fill out a bulk of the game before turning it over to Carter Lovasz who needed just one pitch to pick up the save.
Offensively, it was a huge game for the top of the lineup as Tate Southisene and Conor Essenburg went a combined 5-for-10 with three home runs, and a triple. The two went back-to-back in the third inning to initially give the GreenJackets the 2-0 lead. Augusta would tack on another two runs in the seventh inning when Joe Olsavsky would double in Nick Montgomery and Hayden Freiese. They would tack on three more runs in the eighth inning with Conor Essenburg getting it started – hitting his second home run of the game. Later in the inning Dallas Macias would score on a wild pitch, and Michael Martinez would then score on a sacrifice fly by Nick Montgomery to make it 7-4. Augusta scored their eighth and final run of the game in the ninth inning when Tate Southisene tripled in Joe Olsavasky to push the lead to the conclusive 8-4.
The Los Angeles Dodgers head to the desert for a four-game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks beginning Monday night.
The Boys in Blue are the hottest team in baseball, so my Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks predictions and MLB picks for Monday, June 1, see the visitors snagging a victory.
Who will win Dodgers vs Diamondbacks today: Dodgers (-155)
Both starting pitchers tell a tale of regression, but the moral is quite different.
Eduardo Rodriguez’s 2.31 ERA is unsupported by his 4.44 xERA. His 89 Stuff+ is one of the worst you’ll see among Big League starters, so his hot start is bound to fizzle out as the season progresses.
Los Angeles Dodgers starter Emmet Sheehan’s 4.70 ERA will positively regress given his 3.88 xERA and 3.29 xFIP. He dazzles with a 20.7% K-BB% and should flummox an Arizona Diamondbacks lineup with a 91 wRC+ in the last 20 days despite facing poor competition.
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks Over/Under pick: Under 8.5 (+107)
The Dodgers have been profitable to the Under (25-34 O/U) this season despite having a potent lineup.
That’s in large part due to a revamped bullpen that suppresses opponent scoring regardless of who the starting pitcher is. They allowed just 24 earned runs in May while sporting a sterling 2.96 FIP.
The only team to let in fewer runs? Arizona, which allowed 18 earned runs en route to a 2.18 ERA.
LA has hit the Over just once in Sheehan’s last four starts, while Arizona has done so once in Rodriguez’s last six.
JD Yonke's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 20-18, -2.36 units
Over/Under bets: 28-11, +16.41 units
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks odds
Moneyline: Dodgers -128 | Diamondbacks +116
Run line: Dodgers -1.5 (+102) | Diamondbacks +1.5 (-122)
Over/Under: Over 9 (-110) | Under 9 (-110)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks trend
The Dodgers have cashed the moneyline in 11 of their last 14 games. Find more MLB betting trends for Dodgers vs. Diamondbacks.
How to watch Dodgers vs Diamondbacks and game info
Location
Stadium, City, State/Province
Date
Monday, June 1, 2026
First pitch
9:40 p.m. ET
TV
D-Backs.TV, Sportsnet Los Angeles
Dodgers starting pitcher
Emmett Sheehan (3-1, 4.70 ERA)
Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 2.31 ERA)
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks latest injuries
Dodgers vs Diamondbacks weather
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
TULSA, OKLAHOMA - APRIL 19: Josue de Paula #55 of the Tulsa Drillers swings the bat during a game against the Arkansas Travelers at ONEOK Field on April 19, 2026 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dodgers multi-position switch-hitter Tommy Edman hit a two-run home run on Sunday and played center field for the first time on his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Four games into his rehab assignment, Edman has five hits in 13 at-bats plus a walk, with three runs scored.
Player of the day
Dodgers top prospect Josue De Paula tied career highs with four hits and two home runs in Double-A Tulsa’s win on Sunday. The Drillers right fielder hit a two-run shot in the third inning and a solo shot in the seventh.
After hitting .302/.439/.419 in April, De Paula turned up the power in May, hitting a robust .340/.410/.650 with 14 doubles, six home runs, and 29 RBI in 25 games. That’s the most home runs, RBI, and highest slugging percentage of any month in his career to date.
Triple-A Oklahoma City
James Tibbs continued his week to remember with yet another home run in the Comets road win over the Sugar Land Space Cowboys (Astros). Tibbs hit a solo home run in the fourth inning, and also singled and walked. He hit six home runs with 16 RBI during the six-game series, a rare feat.
James Tibbs III is now the first OKC player in six years to homer in four straight games.
Cole Irvin allowed a run in five innings for the win, and was followed by four scoreless innings of relief. Nick Frasso pitched two perfect frames with two strikeouts, his third straight scoreless outing with seven strikeouts among his 14 batters faced during that span.
Double-A Tulsa
The Drillers led 9-0 after three innings but had to hold on to beat the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Royals) by a single run. De Paula had plenty of company in producing offense.
Mike Sirota homered, doubled, singled, and walked, scored twice, and drove in three runs. Zyhir Hope tripled, singled, and drove in three. Jake Gelof doubled twice.
After Northwest Arkansas scored five runs in the eighth inning to pull within one, Nick Robertson pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save. The 27-year-old right-hander, who debuted with the Dodgers in 2023 and also pitched in the majors for the Boston Red Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, and Toronto Blue Jays in 2023-24, has pitched in 15 games this season, all of scoreless, totaling 21 1/3 innings with just four singles and five walks allowed, with 25 strikeouts.
High-A Great Lakes
The Loons lost 3-2 to the Dayton Dragons (Reds) for the second straight day. That spoiled a strong start by left-hander Sterling Patick, who struck out seven and allowed just one run in his five innings. The seven strikeouts matched his season high.
Eduardo Quintero and Jose Meza each had two hits for Great Lakes.
Class-A Ontario
Down 8-3 in the ninth inning, the Tower Buzzers rallied for six runs to stun the Visalia Oaks (D-backs).
First baseman Easton Shelton hit a solo shot in the ninth for Ontario, his third home run in four games. AJ Soldra hit a two-run shot that pulled Ontario within a run, part of a three-hit day for the left fielder.
Mairo Martinus homered and drove in three runs. He reached on an error in the ninth inning, then Brendan Tunink walked, putting the tying and winning runs on with only one out. Chase Harlan singled home Martinus, and Ching-Hsien Ko singled home Tunink for the game-winner.
Brady Smith struck out six and allowed a run in his four-inning start.
COVERS INTEL: