The National League is led by a trio of Los Angeles Dodgers: Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith. Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes is on the mound first.
It’ll be a key moment for the NL as it has only won one of the last 11 All-Star Games against the American League.
Leading the way for the AL alongside Raleigh is New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and four Detroit Tigers: Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene, Javier Baez and starting pitcher Tarik Skubal.
Here’s where to watch the clash between the league’s top stars:
When is the 2025 MLB All-Star Game?
The All-Star Game is set for Tuesday, July 15.
What time is the 2025 MLB All-Star Game?
First pitch is set for 8 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. PT.
Where is the 2025 MLB All-Star Game?
Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, is hosting the game for the first time.
Where to watch the 2025 MLB All-Star Game on TV
The game will be broadcast on FOX.
Where to stream the 2025 MLB All-Star Game online
The game will be available to stream on FoxSports.com and the Fox Sports mobile app.
Who are the 2025 MLB All-Star Game starters?
These are the players starting for the AL and NL:
American League
C: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
2B: Gleyber Torres, Detroit Tigers
3B: Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays* (replacement)
Sam Dickinson is one of the most interesting prospects to follow this coming season for the San Jose Sharks.
He’s outgrown the Ontario Hockey League, that much is very clear. However, unlike many in that situation, he’s unable to go the NCAA route since he’s already signed an entry-level contract with the Sharks.
Dickinson is also still ineligible for the American Hockey League since he’s just 19 years old. As a result, the only options he has are to make the NHL roster, or spend another season dominating the OHL which does little for his development. It is important to note first note though, there is an example the Sharks can look at to help influence their decision.
The Chicago Blackhawks went through a similar situation with former seventh-overall pick Kevin Korchinski a few seasons ago. He stayed in the NHL for the entirety of the 2023-24 season, but never truly found his footing. While he played some games in the NHL this past season, he ended up spending the most of his time with the Rockford IceHogs in the AHL where he seemed much more comfortable.
Even though Dickinson is performing at a higher level than Korchinski was at this point in his development, it’s a comparable that shouldn’t be ignored.
Neither option is perfect for Dickinson, but let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each possibility.
With the London Knights of the OHL last year, Dickinson had what can only be described as a dominant season. In the regular season he lit the lamp 29 times, and totaled 91 points in just 55 games. He went to another level in the playoffs as well, with 31 points in just 17 games. He was a key contributor in the Knights’ eventual Memorial Cup victory and earned some other hardware along the way.
Dickinson was named both the OHL and Canadian Hockey League Defenseman of the Year, and was named to the CHL First All-Star team as well. Ultimately, he’s accomplished everything there is to do in Junior hockey.
The main advantage to the London Knights is Dickinson can certainly learn a lot from head coach Dale Hunter, but compared to what he’d learn playing at a higher level, it’s minimal at best. He would also be guaranteed an abundance of playing time in the OHL, which may not be the case if he were to make it to the NHL.
Looking at the Sharks roster, even after trading away Henry Thrun, there’s an abundance of left-handed defensemen competing for very few spots. Mario Ferraro, Dmitry Orlov, and Nick Leddy seem almost guaranteed to be on the opening night roster. Only one of them, Leddy, has proven that he can comfortably play on his off-side which does open up one spot that Dickinson can compete for.
There’s an abundance of competition beyond Orlov and Ferraro though, as Shakir Mukhamadullin will be looking to finally prove he can stick in the NHL, as will Luca Cagnoni and Jack Thompson, who is a right-handed defenseman.
If Dickinson does make the roster, he’d likely be put on the Sharks’ top-pairing almost immediately, which is a mighty task for a 19-year-old defenseman. There’s also the concern of who the Sharks would be able to pair him with. Considering Dickinson likes to jump into the play, having him alongside John Klingberg for example could be dangerous, as it would likely lead to quite a few offensive rushes for the opposition. Nick Leddy at this stage of his career likely shouldn’t be getting top-four minutes, at least to start the season and as a result that would take him out of the running.
Timothy Liljegren on the other hand, could be a decent option for the time being. Although, like Klingberg, Liljegren is an offensive minded defenseman, he’s more reliable defensively which should allow Dickinson to play his game with as minimal risk as possible defensively.
In a perfect world, the best move for Dickinson at this stage of his career would be either a season in the NCAA or starting out in the American Hockey League to adapt to the professional game before getting called up mid season. Unfortunately for Grier, neither of those options are on the table.
I think it’s safe to say, Dickinson will start the season in the NHL. However, after the ninth game of the season will be when Grier is forced to decide whether to keep the defenseman in San Jose and burn the first year of his entry-level contract, or send him back to the London Knights.
It’s a tough task to ask a 19-year-old to jump into the NHL under any circumstances, but it’s something that’s even more difficult for a defenseman.
The Sharks’ general manager had nothing but praise for Dickinson following this season’s development camp and clearly believes in the defenseman's ability. ”I think he's a little bit more mature, and he's carrying himself with just a little bit more confidence,” Grier said. “I thought he dominated most of the time, so it was a good first step for him and we feel like he's on the right track here.”
Overall, it’s not going to be as easy of a decision as it looks like on paper for how to approach Dickinson’s development. As the Sharks saw with Will Smith last season, sometimes a young player’s confidence can be damaged by playing in the NHL before they’re fully ready. Smith was able to eventually turn things around, and finished with a respectable rookie season, however with how how many goals the Sharks have given up over the past few seasons, that could be much harder for a defenseman like Dickinson to overcome.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred speaks during the first round of the MLB draft Sunday. (Mike Stewart / Associated Press)
Major League Baseball will not cancel its 2028 All-Star Game in order to participate in the Los Angeles Olympics, Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday.
Manfred said representatives of the league and LA28 met Monday, with both sides hoping to work toward an agreement in which major leaguers would play in the Olympics. MLB has declined to stop its season for previous Olympic baseball tournaments, so minor leaguers and college players have participated in those Games.
But Manfred also warned that any agreement likely would apply only to the L.A. Games, where major leaguers could be done in a week. If baseball remains on the Olympic schedule for Brisbane in 2032, MLB would remain reluctant to shut down for the extended period needed to get players to Australia, allow them to prepare and play, and then return to their major league teams.
“I think that the idea of playing in L.A. in ‘28, regardless of the possibility of ongoing Olympic participation in another location, that there is some merit to it,” Manfred said at a meeting of the Baseball Writers Assn. of America.
“I think it is an opportunity to market the game on a really global stage. I think, obviously, because it is in the U.S., the logistics of it are easier.”
On Monday, LA28 announced that baseball would be played July 15-20, 2028, intended as an inducement for MLB to minimize schedule disruption by skipping the All-Star Game for that year and switching to the Olympics in the same week.
Manfred indicated the league’s preference would be to play the All-Star Game in its usual window, then compete in the Olympics and resume the regular season.
"It’s doable," Manfred said. "They put out a schedule. They tell you it’s not going to move. We’ll see whether there is any movement on that.
“It is possible to play the All-Star Game in its normal spot, have a single break that would be longer, but still play 162 games without bleeding into the middle of November. It would require significant accommodations, but it is possible.”
Foxes had also spoken to Gary O’Neil and Chris Wilder
Leicester have confirmed the appointment of Martí Cifuentes to fill the vacancy left by Ruud van Nistelrooy after relegation from the Premier League last season.
The Spaniard left QPR last month having been placed on gardening leave in April at the tail end of a Championship campaign that resulted in a 15th-placed finish in the 24-club division. Rangers finished seven points above the relegation places and the 43-year-old Cifuentes left by mutual consent last month.
Winners of 10 straight games heading into the All-Star break, the surging Boston Red Sox are poised to buy at the 2025 MLB trade deadline.
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been open about his plan to pursue starting pitching, but he should also explore options to upgrade the bullpen. Reliable relief pitching is critical for a deep postseason run, and the Red Sox have a chance to make a serious playoff push in the wide-open American League.
Breslow made an effort to improve the bullpen last summer — his first as Boston’s front-office leader — by acquiring rental relievers Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia. Both were in the midst of solid seasons with their previous teams, but they struggled mightily over the final two months with the Red Sox.
This time, Breslow should shoot higher than Sims and Garcia types in his pursuit of bullpen upgrades. The relievers he targets should have a proven track record beyond just 2025, and he shouldn’t be afraid to pay up for an elite high-leverage option to pair with All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman.
Here are 10 relievers who should be on Breslow’s shortlist of trade targets:
Helsley has been among MLB’s best relief pitchers for the last four seasons. The two-time All-Star even earned Cy Young votes after his outstanding 2022 and 2024 campaigns.
It has been sort of a “down” season by Helsley’s standards, but the 30-year-old is still sporting a 3.27 ERA over 33 appearances. He and Chapman would form one of the scariest and hardest-throwing setup-closer combinations in the game.
Helsley would be a rental as his contract is set to expire after this season.
Reid Detmers, LHP, Los Angeles Angels
Detmers converted to a relief role this season. It was a rough adjustment for the 26-year-old southpaw, but he has been exceptional over the last two months.
Since May 9, Detmers owns a 1.29 ERA wth 37 strikeouts and 13 walks in 28 innings. He went 22 consecutive outings without allowing an earned run before his most recent two appearances.
Making Detmers an even more attractive option for Breslow is that he’s under team control through 2028. Additionally, he’s capable of stepping up as a spot starter if necessary.
Jhoan Duran, RHP, Minnesota Twins
This one might be a pipe dream, but we had to include at least one long shot on the list.
Duran has some of the filthiest stuff in the league, and the Twins aren’t likely to move him this summer unless they get a significant haul in return. The 27-year-old is also under team control through 2027.
That said, Breslow should at least inquire about what it would take to pry him away from Minnesota. Duran has come up in trade rumors over the last couple of weeks, so why not check in on one of the nastiest closers in the league?
Duran has a 1.66 ERA and 1.13 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 16 walks this season. Boston already has a dominant closer in Chapman, but the 37-year-old is playing on a one-year deal. Duran could take over as the Red Sox’ lights-out closer in 2027.
Griffin Jax, RHP, Minnesota Twins
Jax is the more realistic option if Breslow calls Minnesota’s front office for a potential deal. The 30-year-old shined as Duran’s set-up man in 2024, and although his numbers aren’t quite as impressive so far this season, he’d still be a major addition to Boston’s bullpen.
One encouraging number from this season: Jax’s 66 strikeouts. His 14.4 K/9 so far this year is a career-high.
David Bednar, RHP, Pittsburgh Pirates
If Breslow is looking for a reliever with a proven track record, look no further than Bednar. The two-time All-Star struggled mightily in 2024 but has bounced back so far in 2025, posting a 2.53 ERA and 1.125 WHIP with 45 strikeouts and only nine walks in 36 appearances.
Bednar, 30, is also under team control through next season. The Pirates already are out of contention, so they should be motivated to sell off valuable pieces sooner rather than later.
Chris Martin, RHP, Texas Rangers
The ex-Red Sox reliever is still doing his thing at 39 years old. Is he destined to return to Boston?
In 37 appearances for Texas this season, Martin has a 2.20 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 34 strikeouts and only five walks. He was one of the Red Sox’ few bright spots in 2023 and 2024, so Breslow should consider the possibility of bringing him back for the 2025 postseason push.
Chris Martin (1IP 1H 0R 0BB 1K) picked up his 7th hold of the season in the @Rangers loss to the Athletics. His sinker averaged 94 MPH and was our RP Pitch of the Day pic.twitter.com/xDmRrjSRE2
Finnegan represented the Nationals at the 2024 All-Star Game and has been even better so far in 2025. The 33-year-old has a 3.12 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 35 outings.
While he may not move the needle like a Duran, Jax or Bednar, Finnegan is a rock-solid reliever who should be relatively affordable as a rental.
Steven Matz, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals
It feels like Matz’s name has been connected to the Red Sox in trade or free agency rumors several times throughout his 11-year career. Will he finally join Boston this summer?
Matz has become a full-time reliever this season with St. Louis, and he’s seen some solid results. In 28 outings (two starts), the 34-year-old has posted a 3.35 ERA and 1.14 WHIP.
Similar to Detmers, Matz’s history as a starter means he can be stretched multiple innings if needed. And as a rental, it shouldn’t take too much to acquire him if the price for his teammate Helsley is too steep.
Emilio Pagan, RHP, Cincinnati Reds
Pagan has enjoyed a solid nine-year career as a journeyman reliever. Will Boston mark his seventh team?
The 34-year-old has looked sharp in Cincinnati this season. In 40 appearances, he has posted a 2.93 ERA and 0.875 WHIP.
Reds righty Emilio Pagán records the 500th strikeout of his career in the eighth inning Wednesday in Cleveland! 💥💥 pic.twitter.com/4SO17CxuJS
Pagan’s contract is set to expire after the 2025 season.
Tyler Rogers, RHP, San Francisco Giants
Another rental, Rogers has been nothing short of stellar since joining the Giants in 2018. The 34-year-old is a workhorse who has led the National League in appearances in three seasons, and he’s on pace to do the same this year with an MLB-leading 48 outings before the All-Star break.
Tyler Rogers lowers his season ERA to 1.59 after making his 47th relief appearance, which is tied for the most in @MLBpic.twitter.com/wl5bTK2bxM
Every NBA rookie has his own path, and it isn’t always a soft landing.
Quinten Post was thrown into the fire by the Warriors last season once he graduated from dominating the G League in Santa Cruz. The former No. 52 overall pick in last year’s NBA draft spent all of 2024 developing his game, but once he earned his promotion, Post was up for good.
Post played so well in his first five games of real minutes at the end of January, averaging 10.4 points on 39.3-percent shooting from three, coach Steve Kerr decided to give Post his first start in a Golden State jersey — against the eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
The box score wasn’t pretty for Post in the Warriors’ seven-point win, yet he survived and started the next five games, too. Post started 14 regular-season games as a rookie, and another two in the NBA playoffs. He talked trash with Luka Dončić and LeBron James in LA.
None of those experiences can be compared to who Post sat across from Saturday night in Las Vegas, staring at their chess pieces.
“It’s a completely different experience,” Post says, speaking to NBC Sports Bay Area exclusively over the phone. “As in, like, there’s no expectations obviously when I play chess against Magnus. There are expectations when I play on an NBA court against LeBron or whoever we face.”
While the initial plan was for Post to play NBA Summer League games in Las Vegas, freestyle chess is what he dominated instead. Post over the weekend was part of Chesstival at the Wynn Las Vegas, an innovative pro-am tournament hosted by former NBA MVP Derrick Rose and chess grandmaster and current world champion Magnus Carlsen. Post came out a big winner, too.
First, NBA players were paired with chess grandmasters for two-person teams in a head and hand tournament. The grandmaster called out a piece, and the NBA player had to make the move. Post and his partner Tania Sachdev of India made it all the way to the semifinals, losing to Tony Snell and Fabiano Caruana of Italy. Later in the night, Post got his revenge on Snell.
The head and hand tournament was followed by a best of the best battle, NBA players going head-to-head in singles. Post met Snell in the third round and this time was victorious. The floor-stretching Warriors center checkmated Harrison Ingram in the finals, becoming the first ever Chesstival blitz tournament champion.
From buckets to bishops, he does it all♟️
Quinten Post showed off his chess skills at Chesstival during Summer League, taking the W in the Blitz tournament—and donating the prize money to a charity of his choice. pic.twitter.com/MBRqyGv7GN
More than bragging rights were secured. Post won $25,000 to charity, which he’s giving to Reading Partners, a national nonprofit he previously partnered with earlier this year.
“It’s an organization that helps kids who either struggle with reading or who are in a situation at home or at school where it’s hard for them to learn how to read,” Post said. “Just want to help these kids have a good foundation to set them up for the rest of their lives.”
He and his chess grandmaster partner weren’t pitted against Carlsen and Rose in the tournament. Rather than let a lifetime opportunity pass him by, Post took his chance the night before at the event’s welcome dinner.
It wasn’t confidence that oozed out of Post, it was living in the moment. He was in a place those who taught him the game couldn’t imagine. So, Post challenged Carlsen to a 1-on-1 game at dinner.
“My grandpa — both of them, actually — are into chess, so that’s kind of how I picked it up at a younger age,” Post revealed. “I was like, this is an opportunity for me to be able to tell my kids that I played a game against the world champion. He’s the best to ever do it, so I just took my chance to challenge him.
“Yeah, I didn’t end up winning. It was a lot of fun.”
Each player was given five minutes. Post took about four and a half minutes. Carlsen needed maybe 30 seconds to beat him, per Post’s estimation.
Like young basketball sensations, there have been numerous chess prodigies throughout the years. Carlsen is one of them. He’s a genius. He just might be the G.O.A.T.
He also has been called eccentric, cocky and even arrogant for his unusual antics and tactics that don’t always align with chess and its culture. There’s an intimidation factor Carlsen brings to the sport. Post could have felt it, maybe he did. But he also had an easy in.
“Magnus is actually a huge Warriors fan,” Post says. “He watches every single game, he told me. So that was an easy point of the conversation, and he seemed pretty well-versed in basketball. He’s a huge Steph [Curry] fan, too.
“Super cool guy. We talked about chess, the lifestyle, basketball, and I told him if he’s ever in San Francisco he should come to a game.”
The game of chess always has been a part of Post, and it always will be. His father, Arjen, plays but it’s his two grandfathers that he gives credit to.
Post remembers learning chess around 6, 7 or 8 years old. His mother’s father Kess Toorenaar taught chess at a local elementary school and instilled the basics in Post. His grandpa on his father’s side, Harry Post, played chess at the local club.
Now, it’s something he picks up recreationally in phases. Post has played against Warriors teammate Moses Moody and a handful of members on the coaching staff, and he hopes to play Draymond Green this season. Recently, Post really has delved back into it.
Aside from Chesstival, Post this offseason went to the Mechanics’ Institute in San Francisco to play. Founded in 1854, the Mechanics’ Institute is the oldest chess club in the United States.
“Really nice people. They hosted me very well,” Post said. “It’s cool to see. It’s actually a very famous club where a lot of people have come. It was cool to do that.”
Shooting easily is Post’s biggest strength on a basketball court right now. It’s easy to describe him in a scouting report. The exercise was impossible to do for Post when it comes to chess.
He couldn’t define himself quite yet, but did admit he’s an offensive type of player who likes to attack. Comparing and describing Carlsen’s game was much easier for Post.
“Probably the greatest to ever do it,” he said. “Modern era, he’s like a Curry or like a LeBron of the chess world.”
And Post is the Carlsen of the NBA world, at least for one weekend in terms of chess.
“I would say so,” Post said when I asked if he’s the best chess player in the NBA. “I think I got a good shot at it. Maybe not everybody was there that plays. We’ll see. It’ll probably grow next year, and we’ll see.”
His road to winning the blitz tournament began by beating former, and possibly future, Warriors teammate De’Anthony Melton. Wins then were secured against Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey, Snell, Grant Williams and Ingram.
A precaution to an ankle issue kept Post from playing summer league this year. He’s still the Warriors’ biggest winner of Las Vegas, proudly wearing a new target on his back from the hoopers trying to get the privilege of boasting on a chessboard.
John Collins? Traded. Collin Sexton? Traded. Jordan Clarkson? Bought out.
Lauri Markkanen? It looks like the veteran forward is staying in Utah and will not be traded, Tim MacMahon reports at ESPN.
[Trading Markkanen] is not Utah's intention, sources told ESPN. It would be too much to describe Markkanen as untouchable, but the Jazz still project the All-Star forward as a key player in their future core.
While this is what a front office says when trying to gain leverage and drive up the price tag on a potential trade, in this case, there are reasons to believe Utah means it.
For one thing, even if Markkanen bounces back to the form of his first season in Utah — when he was an All-Star and won the Most Improved Player award — it's not going to disrupt the clear plan for next season, which is to, how should we put this, end up with excellent lottery odds. Secondly, his massive salary — his four-year, $195.9 million contract extension kicks in this season, starting at $46.4 million — makes finding a workable trade difficult. Finally, and tied to that contract, Markkanen struggled through an injury-plagued last season, averaging 19 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, but his shooting efficiency was down across the board, including 34.6% from 3-point range. Teams are going to want to see the 28-year-old regain his form.
Which is to say, the Jazz are going to wait, play Markannen with their young stars like the just-drafted Ace Bailey, Kyle Filipowski (who has looked fantastic at Summer League) and Walker Kessler, and see how things shake out. At the deadline, maybe the Jazz and another team out there will feel differently, maybe not, but for now expect Markkanen to stay in Utah. Where he has wanted to be.
Boston is the best sports city in America, but it has not played host to an NBA, MLB or NHL All-Star Game in a long time.
This city hosted four of the first 14 NBA All-Star Games, but the event hasn’t been back since 1964. The NHL All-Star Game last came to Boston in 1996 — the first year of the Fleet Center (now TD Garden).
And the MLB All-Star Game was most recently held in Boston in 1999, when Red Sox legend Ted Williams took part in the first pitch ceremony and Pedro Martinez gave an iconic performance by striking out five of the six batters he faced and winning MVP.
What are the chances Boston’s All-Star drought ends fairly soon?
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters, including Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe, ahead of Tuesday’s 2025 MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta that Fenway Park “would be a great venue” to host the Midsummer Classic again.
“Time is one issue. Level of interest of the club is another issue,” Manfred said, per Abraham. “The Red Sox have certainly expressed interest.”
The 2026 All-Star Game will be hosted by the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.
There are seven teams, including the Red Sox, that haven’t hosted the MLB All-Star Game in this century:
Rays: Never hosted
Athletics: 1987
Cubs: 1990
Blue Jays: 1991
Orioles: 1993
Phillies: 1996 (hosting in 2026)
Red Sox: 1999
First pitch for this year’s All-Star game is scheduled for Tuesday at 8:10 p.m. ET. The Red Sox will be represented by closer Aroldis Chapman. Alex Bregman and Garrett Crochet were also selected but will not participate.
One game won’t tell the whole story, but it will set a first impression of how close these rebuilding Blackhawks are to competing against teams of the Panthers’ caliber with the pieces each squad has. Suffice it to say, Chicago has a ways to go to end the rebuild as it develops its young talent.
The Panthers’ top two defense pairings can compete with that of any team, especially after they acquired Seth Jones from the Blackhawks around the 2025 trade deadline. It’s another story for the Blackhawks.
When their highest-scoring blueliner this past season is youngster Alex Vlasic, whose 30 points were a career high, they can’t expect any sufficient offensive production from the back end. As for Connor Murphy, whose 117 hits and 160 blocked shots led Hawks blueliners, he’s entering the final year of his contract and could be trade bait. Only the Anaheim Ducks allowed more high-danger chances against than Chicago this past season, according to naturalstattrick.com.
Similarly, comparing the Hawks’ forwards with the Panthers’ forwards tells you how long their road to respectability truly is.
Yes, the Blackhawks have cornerstone center Connor Bedard as their most important player and prospects Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert and Nick Lardis in the system. Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Donato had 58 and 62 points this past season, while Frank Nazar, 21, established his spot in the NHL full-time.
They’ll need Bedard to continue to grow as a difference-maker with help from his supporting cast, but they’re still over a season away from the wave of prospects taking this team to the next level. Right now, they don’t have enough true needle-movers to be in the same breath as a legitimate Cup contender like the Panthers, which are very deep at every position.
In net, the Hawks have a young goalie in Spencer Knight, who came over from Florida in the Jones trade, as well as veteran Laurent Brossoit. No goalie will be able to bail out the defensively lacking Blackhawks players in front of them. There may come a day when Knight can thrive between the pipes for Chicago, but that day isn’t likely going to come next season.
Chicago has about $22.3 million in salary cap space, and they used that room to acquire Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken for an upgrade on offense. But it’s unlikely they can weaponize much more of their cap space at this point to get the type of players that will make them beat teams like the Panthers more often than not.
The truth is the Hawks are a dog’s breakfast of assets at this stage, and many of their current players include veterans past their prime, like captain Nick Foligno, and second-tier NHLers, such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Teravainen and Burakovsky.
It’s clearly easy to see why the Hawks will be a long shot to play meaningful hockey down the stretch in 2025-26. The Panthers are likely to make it clear in Game 1 next year how far the Blackhawks have to go next season. After another year or two, the Blackhawks will be much better built to take the next step.
Former Michigan player Mitch Voit was selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the MLB draft on Sunday. (John McCoy / Associated Press)
Mitch Voit had plenty to celebrate on Sunday after being selected by the New York Mets in the first round of the 2025 MLB draft.
Chances are, that celebration did not resemble the now-infamous one the former Michigan infielder performed during a game against USC on March 16 in Ann Arbor.
With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Voit ripped a hit into center field for a three-run triple that gave the Wolverines a 5-0 lead. While still on the ground after diving into third base, Voit decided to celebrate the feat in a rather curious manner.
“I would like to apologize for my actions on third base yesterday,” Voit wrote. “I made an immature decision in the heat of the moment. The gesture I made does not reflect my character, the household I was raised in, or the block M that I represent in any kind of way. I take full responsibility for what I did, and I am truly sorry to all those who I have negatively impacted by doing this.”
Voit was not punished by the Wolverines.
“Mitch is a great young man and immediately apologized for his actions in the heat of the moment," Michigan Athletics spokesperson David Ablauf told The Athletic in a March 18 email. "As an athletic department, we did not feel that it was necessary to issue any discipline.”
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Mets vice president of amateur scouting Kris Gross said the organization did its due diligence on the matter leading up to the draft.
“We spoke to him earlier in the spring and at the combine about it," Gross said. "And basically, you know, he’s a young guy, it’s a heat of passion, it’s a big game. He made a big play for his team and made a mistake. And he’s made an apology for it and owned up to it, handled it with class.
"We did a ton of research after the fact with multiple sources about his makeup. We know this isn’t an issue and we feel comfortable with Mitch moving forward.”
Voit was a two-way player during his first two seasons at Michigan, before undergoing internal brace surgery on his right elbow in spring 2024. As the Wolverines' starting second baseman in all 56 games this season, Voit hit .346 with 14 home runs and 60 RBIs, with more walks (40) than strikeouts (34).
“He made a lot of strides, this being his first year to focus on hitting,” Gross told reporters Sunday.
“When you’re scouting him, you sit there and you start to check all the boxes. He checked them all.”
When the Mets return from the All-Star break, they will be under two weeks from the July 31 trade deadline, and there are plenty areas of need they'll have to add reinforcements to as they push for the National League East title and a deep playoff run.
As SNY’s Andy Martino has reported, the Mets are likely to be looking for both starting pitching and relief help, as well as a potential upgrade in center field. I would argue that they should at least consider an upgrade at DH, too. But from a roster construction standpoint it would be difficult pull off adding while also having Jesse Winker, Starling Marte, and Mark Vientos on the roster.
Marte and Winker are currently injured, but they could potentially return not long after the break.
The early feeling is that while there will be activity at the deadline as always, there may not be many top-end players on the move. It’s possible the best player traded this season was already moved with the Red Sox shipping Rafael Devers to the Giants a few weeks ago.
The team to watch over the next couple of weeks is the Diamondbacks, who could shake up the trade market in a significant way if they elect to sell.
I am often asked -- whether in the mailbag segment of The Mets Pod or in my mentions on X (@PSLToFlushing) -- about which prospects the Mets could look to move at the deadline, or more importantly who they shouldn’t move.
Given the expected available inventory, I think David Stearnswould be unlikely to trade from the very top of the farm system. As much as winning now is of most importance -- and I believe Stearns will be more aggressive than he was last year -- he will always make sure to keep an eye on the long-term. That's a difficult needle to thread, but it's one of the reasons the Mets hired him -- the whole idea of sustained success.
Names like Jett Williams, Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Carson Bengestand out to me as prospects that I believe the Mets would be reluctant to move, especially for rental players. I would keep an eye on the pitching depth of the system being the spot where New York is most active in discussions with other clubs.
There will come a time that Stearns and the Mets will end up moving top prospects to get an impact player. Just think back to when Stearns acquired Christian Yelich from the Marlins when he was with the Brewers.
The question: Is this month the time that happens? Only time will tell.
Below are a few mock trades at different acquisition cost levels that could fill some of the Mets' needs. For clarity, I am not saying the Mets would do all of the below deals, but I tried to find fits for the team's top needs.
Jarren Duran / Imagn Images/Envato Elements/SNY Treated Image
This one may be unlikely given the Red Sox rallied off 10 consecutive wins heading into the break and look more like a playoff team now than they did a few weeks ago.
That could lead to them hanging onto Duran at least until the offseason. But with an excess of talent in the outfield, they could look to move him for controllable, near big-league ready pitching.
Clifford could potentially be Boston's long-term solution at first base.
The Mets would have probably the best outfield in baseball with Brandon Nimmo in left, Duran in center and Juan Soto in right. Duran is having a somewhat down year by his standards, with a .749 OPS. But he does have 25 doubles, 10 triples, eight home runs and 16 stolen bases at the All-Star break.
Duran is also under team control through the 2028 season.
Sproat has turned his season around lately, pitching with conviction. He has 18.0 straight scoreless innings and his stuff has ticked up. His fastball is back into the upper 90s, touching 100. And he has further emphasized his curveball and changeup. Sproat looks to be on the precipice of being big-league ready.
Clifford is having a strong year with Double-A Binghamton, with an .814 OPS and Eastern League leading 17 home runs and 54 RBI. His strikeout rate is down a little from last year but still a little higher than you’d like it to be at 27 percent.
Tidwell has gotten looks at the big league level with inconsistent results thus far. He has good stuff and has missed bats at the Triple-A level, but there are questions regarding if he projects as a starter or reliever long-term.
Jun 18, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins (31) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at George M. Steinbrenner Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck - Imagn Images
Mets acquire OF Cedric Mullins and LHP Gregory Soto from the Orioles for RHP Nate Dohm (preseason No. 20 prospect) and RHP Jack Wenninger (preseason No. 27 prospect)
Center field? Check. A reliever? Check. The Orioles could be a great trading partner for the Mets this month as they have options at every position of need for New York.
Mullins is hitting .218 with a .713 OPS while hitting 13 home runs and stealing 13 bases.
Last year, Mullins had a down first half as well (.621 OPS), but he had a massive second half (.831 OPS). And the Mets would be buying him as at minimum a platoon partner for Tyrone Taylor -- and like Taylor, he is a plus defender in center.
Soto has a 3.74 ERA in 42 games spanning 33.2 innings with 40 strikeouts. He averages 96.7 mph on his fastball and has a well above average 27.4 percent strikeout rate. He can at times have his control come and go, but Soto could combine with Brooks Raley to give the Mets two impactful lefties in the pen in the second half.
Both Mullins and Soto are free agents at the end of the season.
The Orioles would get two intriguing arms having strong seasons in Dohm (3.12 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 57.2 innings split between Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn) and Wenninger (3.01 ERA with 107 strikeouts in 86.2 innings for Double-A Binghamton).
Mets acquire RHP David Bednar from the Pirates for OF Drew Gilbert (preseason No. 10 prospect) and C/1B/OF Chris Suero (preseason No. 25 prospect)
The Mets could use a reliever they can rely on to be the setup man for Edwin Diaz, essentially forming a two-headed monster at the back end of games.
Bednar is under team control through 2026, with one more year of arbitration remaining.
In 2025 he's posted a 2.53 ERA in 32 innings with 45 strikeouts. His fastball is averaging 97.1 mph and he is in the 96th percentile in strikeout rate.
Being able to shift down the roles of the likes of Reed Garrett, Ryne Stanek and Huascar Brazoban would only make the Mets' bullpen even more dangerous down the stretch.
The Pirates need bats, and Gilbert is a player that they could call up and give a shot to play right field nearly right away to join an outfield with Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz. Dating back to June 11, Gilbert is hitting .284/.368/.569 (.936 OPS) with seven home runs and 22 RBI in 28 games for Triple-A Syracuse.
Suero is a good athlete who has spent time behind the plate, at first base, and in left field this year for Brooklyn. The 21-year-old is hitting .240/.382/.455 with 13 home runs, 51 RBI and 25 stolen bases.
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zac Gallen (23) throws against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Truist Park / Brett Davis - Imagn Images
Mets acquire RHP Zac Gallen from the Diamondbacks for INF Jesus Baez (preseason No. 6 prospect) and LHP Zach Thornton (not ranked in preseason top 30)
The Mets received encouraging performances from Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea over the weekend before the break. But with Senga struggling to stay healthy consistently, Manaea pitching through a loose body in his elbow, and a question of how long Clay Holmes will remain a starter this year, they need to add here.
Gallen is having a down year with a 5.40 ERA, but this is a former Cy Young candidate who has been better in July -- with a 3.50 ERA over three starts. One of the biggest differences is that his knuckle curve was one of the best pitches in baseball in 2024, and it has not been nearly as effective in 2025.
If you put him with Jeremy Hefner and this Mets' pitching apparatus during a pennant race, you may get the best of him as he heads into free agency this winter -- an improved Gallen surely could be a playoff starter for the Mets.
I think Gallen will be a popular trade candidate if available, so the price will not be cheap.
Baez is an infielder who has played second, third, and shortstop. He is slashing .251/.343/.398 with nine home runs and 41 RBI across 71 games between St. Lucie and Brooklyn. He shows a propensity to hit the ball hard with natural loft in his swing and has a good plan at the plate, where he has a low strikeout rate to go with an above average walk rate. Baez would be an upside buy for Arizona.
Thornton was one of the best performers in the Mets' minors prior to an oblique injury that will keep him out into the second half.
He has a 1.98 ERA in 14 starts between Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton, with 78 strikeouts and a minuscule 11 walks in 72.2 innings. He’s not going to blow anyone away with his stuff, but it’s a fastball in the 91-94 mph range, a gyro slider, curve and changeup. He projects as a potential back end starter.
Whether it's any of the above trades or not, Stearns and the Mets are in a position where there are holes to be filled on this club. And in the next couple of weeks they'll have decisions on their hands and a duty to improve the roster in pursuit of their first World Series championship since 1986.
Per Sammon, Robertson will hold throwing sessions for interested teams within the next week.
The 40-year-old right-hander most recently pitched with the Texas Rangers in 2024, appearing in 68 games while posting a 3.00 ERA. While he’s been well-traveled during his 16-year big league career, Robertson has spent the bulk of it with the Yankees, posting a 2.75 ERA in 501 regular season games in pinstripes while serving primarily as a setup man.
Robertson has experience pitching in Queens as well, as he signed with the Mets ahead of the 2023 season and posted a 2.05 ERA in 40 games before being traded to the Miami Marlins ahead of the deadline.
A fresh Robertson would obviously be a boon for the Mets, Yankees, or any club looking to add a bullpen arm in hopes of winning a World Series. And he can be had without trading away any prospects, which could make the veteran an especially intriguing option.
In late June, the
NHL announced the beginning of the
selection process for determining the two host cities of the next
World Cup of Hockey, which is scheduled to take place in February
2028.
According
to the press release, the eight-team tournament will be split into
two groups of four, with one group playing at venue in North America
and the other at an international venue – almost certainly in
Europe. In all probability, each venue would host six group-stage
games and two quarterfinals, with the North American venue also
hosting the two semifinals and the final.
The
deadline for submissions is Friday, July 18, 2025, for North
American cities and Wednesday, July 30, 2025, for
international cities.
The final selection of host cities is expected to take place sometime in early 2026.
North
American entries will surely be current NHL arenas. Which
one will be selected is anyone’s guess, but there are far fewer
venues in Europe that the NHL is likely to view as suitable. First
of all, the timeline of the selection almost certainly rules out the
possibility of any Russian city hosting. Even if Russia does play in
the tournament, it’s far more likely to play in the North American
group than in Europe, where their presence could be more
controversial.
Here are seven venues
in European countries that have a strong possibility to host, ranked
from most likely to least likely to be chosen.
When
the facility then called Sazka Arena opened in Prague in 2004, it was
fully up to NHL standards of the day with a
capacity of over 17,000, club seats, luxury boxes and everything
else. That year, it was the main venue for the IIHF World
Championship and also hosted a game in the World Cup of Hockey. More
than 20 years later, it is still one of only two
hockey venues within the European Union that
could reasonably
be considered up to current NHL standards in
terms of capacity and amenities.
In
addition, Czech fans always tend to come
out to support their team in big numbers, and Prague
is centrally located in Europe, easily accessible from all corners of
the continent by air and rail. It’s
a popular destination for travelling fans, which
is shown every time it hosts a major hockey event, meaning that all
games could be well-attended, not only the ones that the host team
is playing in.
For all
those reasons, O2 Arena in Prague is the most likely European host,
but it’s not a slam dunk.
2.
Avicii Arena, Stockholm Opened:
2004 (Renovated: 2025)
Capacity: 13,850
Stockholm
is every bit of a hockey city as Prague is, and the facility formerly
known as The Globe has also hosted numerous high-profile hockey
events over the years, including World Championships, World Cups and
NHL regular-season games.
Avicii
Arena, however, opened in 1989 and is significantly older than O2
Arena, and despite extensive renovations ahead of this year’s World
Championship, it still seats less than 14,000 for hockey. Also, while
Stockholm is almost as accessible as Prague for visitors from
elsewhere in Europe, it’s a considerably more expensive city to
visit.
Still,
the NHL considers Stockholm and Sweden an important market, as shown
by how frequently they place events there, so Avicii Arena is very
much in play for the World Cup.
3.
Helsinki Arena Opened:
1997 (reopening in 2025) Capacity:
13,349
Between
its opening in 1997 and 2022, this arena was the premier hockey venue
in Finland and one of the top ones in Europe, hosting four World
Championships, two World Juniors, three games at the 2004 World Cup
of Hockey and seven NHL games. However, it’s been closed since
early 2022 – you
can read more about that here.
The
good news is, the arena will apparently return to operation this
September. There are, however, recent
reports from Finland that the building’s new operator is
balking at reactivating the ice plant. If it’s fully hockey
functional – and it’s given the green light before the NHL makes
its decision – Helsinki has a chance.
The
largest full-time hockey venue within the European Union is in
Cologne, Germany. Since its opening in 1996, Lanxess Arena has hosted
three World Championships and drawn very strong attendance. The NHL
also put one game here in the 2004 World Cup.
If
there’s a drawback, it’s that the NHL still hasn’t announced
the format, and it’s not known yet whether Germany will be part of
an eight-team
tournament or have to qualify ahead of time. In the latter case,
it’s highly unlikely that Germany would get to host the European
group.
5.
Uber Arena, Berlin Opened:
2008 Capacity:
14,200
Or if
the NHL wanted to go to Germany, would they pick Berlin instead? It’s
definitely a larger and more accessible city. The NHL also put a
preseason game there in 2019 when the Chicago
Blackhawks visited Eisbären Berlin.
However,
the same question marks surrounding Cologne apply to Berlin as well –
it’ll only happen if Germany qualifies directly as one of
the eight initial teams.
6.
Nokia Arena, Tampere Opened:
2021 Capacity:
13,455
Tampere’s
Nokia Arena has become Finland’s premier hockey venue in the last
few years. Like Helsinki and Stockholm, the smaller capacity is a bit
of a drawback, and it’s a much less accessible city than those
other two – Tampere has only a minor airport, with Helsinki’s
international airport a two-hour drive away.
Nokia
Arena would be further up the list if Helsinki weren’t back in play.
Even without Helsinki, though, this one feels like a long shot with
some of the other choices available.
7.
Swiss Life Arena, Zurich Opened:
2022 Capacity:
11,157
The NHL
and the IIHF recently came to an agreement to send NHL players to the
2026 Winter Olympics in Italy and possibly 2030 in France. As good as
relations seem to be right now, the IIHF has been vocal about its
opposition to a major international non-Olympic hockey tournament in
Europe in February. Putting the European group in the city where the
IIHF’s head offices are located feels like something unlikely to
happen.
