MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 10: E.J. Liddell #9 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts before being ejected during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum on April 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets are looking to add some new, young, talent in a few days. It’s only fair that they lost a dash of it this past week. After all, they were not only the youngest team in the NBA this past season. Sean Marks has said they were the youngest roster on any NBA roster in 20 years!
E.J. Liddell, who appeared in 26 games for Brooklyn during the 2025-26 season, officially signed a two-year deal with Greek club Aris B.C. who made a big deal of signing the 6’6” 25-year-old. Having signed a two-way deal with the Nets this past autumn, he was set to be a restricted free agent this offseason. Instead, he’s opted to hit the road early.
“Thank you Brooklyn and Long Island for another year in this league,” Liddell wrote in an Instagram post in mid April. “It’s been a year full of growth and lessons that I will carry for the rest of my life. One thing I can say I learned is that through habits & discipline you forge a character rich with courage and peace.”
He’s unlikely to be the only one of the younger Nets from last season to move on. There were reports this past week from two NBA cap mavens, Keith Smith and Yossi Gozlan, that the Nets will likely pass on team options for Malachi Smith (Liddell’s high school and NBA teammate) as well as Day-Ron Sharpe, Ziaire Williams and Josh Minott, saving cap space but retaining their free agent rights, which would permit them to re-sign or even extend them later in the Summer. Expect to see word on those decisions days after the second round takes place at Barclays on Wednesday. Next Sunday is the deadline for Sharpe and Williams’ team options, a day later it’s Minott’s turn.
Timing, as we’re about to find out again, plays a critical part in free agency, who can sign when and how. Gozlan, for example suggested the Nets could use the $9.4 million MLE which works out to $29.5 million over three, to sign Sharpe. Liddell, being older and with less NBA experience, is different. Similarly, we don’t know what the Nets are planning with fellow two-way, the 27-year-old Tyson Etienne.
The New Orleans Pelicans originally drafted Liddell out of Ohio State in 2022. He bounced from Atlanta and then to Phoenix as a portion of the Dejounte Murray trade. He spent the 2024 season with the Chicago Bulls organization as a two-way before linking up Brooklyn this past season.
While the Nets likely never saw Liddell as a long-term building like the other youngsters they currently have rostered, he had a handful of inspiring moments during his Brooklyn tenure. Starting all of the team’s final five games this past season, he averaged 18.4/5.8/1.8 and hit a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds on April 9th vs Indiana.
The Nets have plenty of flexibility — there’s that word again — in building the 2026-27 roster. To begin with if they do decline team options on those four, they will have around $50 million in cap space to work with. As noted they have the Room MLE and a lot of smaller deals. They currently have 15 players under contract at the moment, including seven of whom are likely to be on rookie deals making a total of $35.1 million or around 21.3% of the salary cap.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - JUNE 13: Ariel Hukporti #55 and Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are interviewed by Monica McNutt after winning the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs during Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Over the last five years, the Knicks have only made six draft picks. They’ve routinely kicked the can down the road for future flexibility and trade pick after pick to bolster a squad that eventually went on to win an NBA championship.
Four of those six draft picks came in 2024. Pacôme Dadiet was picked 25th, Tyler Kolek was picked 34th, and Kevin McCullar Jr. was picked 56th. As the draft came to a close, the Knicks decided to go with another international player, this time a big man, to provide depth.
Little did they know he’d be getting important minutes in the NBA Finals in Year 2.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – JUNE 13: Ariel Hukporti #55 of the New York Knicks poses for a portrait after winning Game Five of the 2026 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on June 13, 2026 at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Ariel Hukporti was born on April 12, 2002, in Stralsund, Germany, on the shore of the Baltic Sea to Togolese parents. Like many European kids, his first love was soccer, but he quickly outgrew the game due to his rapid growth as a kid and his displeasure with being stuck on defense. Standing nearly six feet tall before even turning 10, he started playing basketball at age 11.
He played with several youth teams and gained interest from several premier Bundesliga clubs, parlaying that into representing Germany on an international stage at the FIBA U16 and U18 European Championships from 2017-19. In 2018, he won a gold medal at the Albert Schweitzer Tournament, a biannual tournament that’s treated as a U18 World Championship due to FIBA’s lack of a tournament of their own. He started his professional career that summer, signing with Riesen Ludwigsburg.
He spent his two years there as a bench player, slowly earning more time in 2019-20 while gaining notoriety by heading to America to play at the 2020 Basketball Without Borders camp in Chicago during All-Star Weekend, winning MVP of a camp that also consisted of Josh Giddey, Bennedict Mathurin, and Joshua Primo.
During the pandemic, Hukporti decided to leave Germany to sign with Nevėžis Kėdainiai out in Lithuania for the 2020-21 season. He briefly considered entering the 2021 draft as an early entry, but withdrew during the process.
After a year there, he went to Australia to join Melbourne United of the NBL. All of these press releases talk about Hukporti as this big NBA prospect, and at age 19, he was in a great situation to go out and put himself firmly on NBA Draft radars with a strong year in the NBL.
He averaged 7 points and 5 rebounds across 27 games in his first year there, but disaster struck in the following preseason, where he tore his Achilles tendon. Sidelined for a whole season, he was put behind the 8-ball when he returned in 2023-24, but he improved considerably and finally entered the 2024 NBA Draft.
Being 22 with a recent Achilles injury, his stock was low, nearly slipping all the way out of the second round. In the chaos of Leon Rose’s wheeling and dealing on draft night, the Knicks traded the No. 51 pick for $1 million and the No. 58 pick, which became Hukporti.
As an older prospect, there was a degree of expecting a high enough floor that he would be able to play relatively quickly. He impressed in Summer League heading into his rookie year, but entered fourth (fifth?) on the depth chart. Only being on a two-way deal didn’t help.
Fortunately for him, injuries to Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa opened an opportunity for him to get some run, as he and another former No. 58 pick, Jericho Sims, would compete for the backup center spot. While he played in garbage time in the first two games, his first chance to play real minutes came on October 28 against the Cavs, when Karl-Anthony Towns battled foul trouble. His first real highlight was sadly erased by a ref’s whistle.
He’d get another chance in mid-November against the Nets, playing 30 minutes with Towns injured and putting up 7 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and four blocks.
Outside of those early cameos that put him on the radar, his chances would be limited. Achiuwa returned in November, and despite Sims being traded at the deadline, the impending return of Robinson was always going to put a cap on his playing time. A torn meniscus in late February ended his season, but he had turned heads in a way no other rookie on the team did.
James Dolan made a rare appearance in the Knicks’ locker room to congratulate Ariel Hukporti on his minutes in the win over the Rockets last night, per @Krisplashed
Hukporti: “I was actually quite surprised because he never actually comes… but it was good to hear from him.” pic.twitter.com/qsevTtZQTQ
Entering 2025-26, Hukporti was firmly entrenched as the team’s third center and even earned the Opening Night start in October due to injuries to Robinson and Josh Hart. Throughout the season, he’d be the next man up on back-to-backs and bide his time in blowouts. He had occasional flashes, including a 6-point, 7-rebound, 3-block performance against Orlando in early December and an 8-point, 16-rebound, 4-block performance against Atlanta in January.
His best performances were usually reserved for garbage time or in blowout wins, but he was tasked with staying ready. Throughout the Knicks’ playoff run, they had to battle constant foul-trouble concerns with Towns facing guys like Joel Embiid and Victor Wembanyama, and Robinson’s free-throw woes, which allowed Hukporti to enter 10 games and play 75 total minutes, ranking 11th on the roster.
He was +22 in 17 minutes in Game 1 against Philly. He played a seven-minute stint in a fully competitive Game 2. He didn’t play much against Cleveland or in the first three games against San Antonio, but he was needed soon enough.
In Game 4, KAT picked up two fouls in under a minute. He would be limited to just nine minutes in the first half, forcing Hukporti and Jeremy Sochan to pick up the slack, with Robinson not conditioned to play extended minutes. His 3:27 stint wasn’t productive, but the team won his minutes in a horrendous first half that gave way to immortality.
In the potential clincher in Game 5, Hukporti was again called upon in the third quarter with Towns back in foul trouble and the looming threat of the Hack-a-Mitch. With the Knicks down 14 in the third quarter and in danger of fully punting the game away, the second-year center flew in from out of nowhere to swat Luke Kornet at the rim.
ARIEL HUKPORTI with a great block on Luke Kornet alley-oop attempt (with replays) pic.twitter.com/WAGTiGepMs
Did that possession change immediately result in something? No, but the lead never grew to the 16-point mark it would’ve reached if Kornet dunked that. It was the first big momentum shift in a second-half comeback that will go down in franchise history.
That’s what Hukporti’s contribution was to this championship. He always stayed ready. He found a way to make an impact when needed for brief stretches in big games against big-time players. That’s all that’s asked for out of your third-string center, and with Robinson’s pending free agency and second apron concerns, maybe he’ll parlay it into future playing time.
Congrats, Huk!
–
(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)
STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI - FEBRUARY 11: Felix Okpara #34 of the Tennessee Volunteers looks on against the Mississippi State Bulldogs during the second half at Humphrey Coliseum on February 11, 2026 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Wes Hale/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Depending on how the board falls, Tennessee center Felix Okpara could be available when New York is on the clock late in the 2026 NBA Draft. Should the Knicks consider him with their 55th selection?
Projected Draft Range: Late second round to undrafted
The Numbers
Okpara spent four seasons carving out a clear identity as a defensive center. He began his career at Ohio State, transferred to Tennessee for his junior season, and became one of the Volunteers’ most reliable interior defenders during their run to the Elite Eight, earning a place in last season’s SEC All-Defense team.
His box-score production wasn’t pleasing to the spreadsheet, but his role explains everything about it. Okpara averaged 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a senior while shooting 61.1% inside the arc. Across four college seasons, he averaged 6.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, always working as a rim protector, screener, lob threat and defensive backbone.
Skills That Pay the Bills
Rim Protection: Okpara’s best NBA skill is his ability to contest shots. He has the length, timing and verticality to bother drivers and force tough finishes around the basket.
Pick-and-Roll Defense: He is not purely a drop-coverage big. Okpara can hedge, step out, slide his feet and survive in space. His mobility gives coaches more coverage options than the standard deep-drop center.
Screening and Rolling: Okpara sets hard screens, uses his frame well and dives quickly to the rim. He finished 69 dunks as a senior, and his timing as a roller gives him value as a low-usage play finisher.
Physical Tools: At roughly 6’11” with a 7’2” wingspan and a 9’4” standing reach, Okpara has real NBA center measurements. He also has a strong frame, broad shoulders and enough vertical pop to play above the rim.
Concerns
Limited Offense: Okpara is not a scorer, shooter or creator. He has flashed some post touch, but his NBA offense will mostly come from lobs, putbacks, rim runs and dump-offs. Rings a Mitch-shaped bell?
Passing Limitations: His career 56 assists to 129 turnovers is a concern. He can keep the ball moving in simple situations, but he is not a short-roll playmaker or high-post hub right now.
Pump-Fake Discipline: Okpara can leave his feet too early. That matters against NBA guards and bigs who will bait him into fouls or force him out of position.
Defensive Composure: He has the tools to defend multiple coverages, but his decision-making is not always consistent. He can get too perimeter-oriented, lose rebounding position or react instead of reading.
Free Throw Shooting: His touch remains questionable. He shot 63.5% from the line as a senior and has never shown enough shooting growth to project real spacing value.
The Knicks Fit
Okpara’s fit with the Knicks depends almost entirely on what happens with Mitchell Robinson’s free agency.
If Robinson stays and signs a mid-to-long-term deal, Okpara becomes harder to justify with real draft capital, even with the late-second pick. New York would already have Karl-Anthony Towns as the starting center and Robinson as the defensive anchor off the bench for at least the next three or four years while the contending window remains open. That leaves little room for another non-shooting rim-running big man unless the Knicks simply want some developmental dude in the pipeline.
However, if Robinson leaves, Okpara becomes more interesting. He would not replace Robinson’s rebounding and instincts, let alone his playoff experience, but he would give New York a cheap, young center who understands the job description: protect the rim, screen hard, finish lobs and avoid getting into trouble or committing dumb mistakes.
Okpara’s appeal is that his role is extremely defined. Mike Brown could use him as a situational drop or hedge big, pair him with strong perimeter defenders, and let him focus on defense-first minutes while developing with Westchester, then move him up if/when needed.
The problem is obvious, and it’s that Okpara’s offensive limitations are severe, if not making him unplayable at the level the Knicks would require him to perform. He would not space the floor like Henri Veesaar, pass like Joshua Jefferson, or bring the same physical rebounding profile as Tarris Reed Jr. or Morez Johnson Jr., although obviously all of those prospects are ranked higher and expected to leave the board no later than within the first 30 picks.
NBA Comparison
Best-Case Comparison: Daniel Gafford (Vertical rim runner, shot blocker, hard screener, and low-usage finisher)
Median Outcome: Jericho Sims (Athletic backup center who screens, rolls, rebounds, and finishes plays)
Low-End Outcome: Bruno Fernando (Physical reserve big with tools, but limited feel and disastrous offensive output)
The Verdict
Draft him at 55th: Okpara is not a first-round option for the Knicks, and No. 31 would be too rich. New York might know Robinson’s decision before the draft and be desperate for a backup with a traditional defensive center profile, but even then, it’s just too much. At the end of the second round, if that’s the feeling and the Knicks are in love with Okpara, then better grab him than risk losing him to another team with the last five picks or once he becomes a UDFA. Okpara does not bring enough shooting, passing, or offensive versatility to justify any kind of heavy investment.
Top prosecutors across the US are taking action against Major League Baseball for issuing warnings San Francisco Giants players for displaying Bible verses on their hats during a Pride Night game.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Saturday morning that he sent an investigative subpoena to the league “to determine how their selective enforcement of uniform rules may discriminate against Christians.”
It comes after Missouri Attorney General
San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Landen Roupp John Hefti-Imagn Images
“By forcing players to promote political and religious beliefs that they disagree with on pain of discipline, MLB is betraying a core tenet of American law and civic culture,” Hanaway said.
On Thursday, DOJ Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced that her office had referred the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for investigation.
“They don’t mind when players are taking a knee and exhibiting all kinds of stuff on the job, but when people are pushing back on being forced to promote a sexual practice that is against their religion, they’re threatening them,” Dhillon told The California Post.
The controversy erupted after Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker and Ryan Walker wrote “Gen 9:12-16” on their rainbow-themed Pride Night caps during a game last week against the Chicago Cubs. The Bible passage references God’s covenant with Noah and describes the rainbow as a sign of that promise.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier Getty Images
After an MLB spokesman confirmed the players had received a uniform warning, the league later clarified that the warning was “not disciplinary” and “had absolutely nothing to do with the content of the message.”
The league noted that MLB’s uniform regulations prohibit players from writing any messages on apparel or equipment and that similar warnings have been issued for personal messages such as “Dad” or “Happy Mother’s Day.”
Dhillon rejected the MLB’s rationale, pointing to the fact that the league allowed players to wear “Black Lives Matter” patches on uniforms, calling it a “double standard.”
Uthmeier praised the federal inquiry and said Florida would determine if MLB’s uniform rules discriminated against Christians. The league has two teams in Florida, while many more hold spring training in the Sunshine State.
Missouri AG Catherine L. Hanaway Office Of The MIssouri Attorney General
“Major League Baseball claims it does not tolerate discrimination based on religion, yet its actions tell a different story,” Uthmeier said in a statement.
His office asked MLB to produce documents by July 23 on uniform rules, enforcement history and other internal documentation. The subpoena was issued under the Florida Civil Rights Act and the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
In her letter to the MLB, Hanaway said she would open a probe unless the league promised not discipline players for refusing to wear Pride Night uniforms and for writing Bible verses on hats. Missouri also has two MLB teams.
“As America’s pastime, baseball should not discriminate against the moral, political or religious beliefs of any player,” she said.
The Post contacted the MLB for comment.
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And while the actor is a huge fan of Brunson, her “Law & Order” colleague Christopher Meloni is also on board with the Knicks star getting a shot on the show.
Meloni, who plays detective Elliot Stabler, told TMZ on Friday he was “absolutely” supportive of the idea.
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but he’s a world champion, he can do whatever the hell he wants,” Meloni said.
EXCLUSIVE: TMZ Sports caught up with Detective Elliot Stabler himself — Christopher Meloni — out in NYC fresh off the Knicks' championship win this week … and had to ask about Finals MVP Jalen Brunson wanting to show off his acting chops. pic.twitter.com/XgxPPufID0
Jalen Brunson and “SVU” star Mariska Hargitay have formed a close friendship. Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
The comments come after Hargitay’s presence during the Knicks’ championship run, as she cheered on Brunson and the Knicks as they won the team’s first title since 1973.
Hargitay, who plays detective Olivia Benson on “SVU,” has developed a close friendship with Brunson because of his fandom of the show.
Brunson previously admitted that he looks for her during Knicks home games, and said on the “Richard Jefferson Show” that he does “love her to death [and] she knows it.”
Hargitay and Brunson also shared a touching moment after the Knicks’ incredible Game 4 comeback against San Antonio.
“I love you so much, I’m so happy!” Hargitay said as they shared a hug.
Christopher Meloni is seen on June 18, 2026 in New York City. GC Images
Hargitay and millions of other Knicks fans were able to celebrate a championship a few days later as New York once again erased an early San Antonio lead to win 94-90 in Game 5.
Brunson saved his best performance of the series for last, as he scored 45 points to get the Knicks over the line in a low-scoring affair in Texas.
The All-Star guard has forever etched himself in New York Sports lore, but an “SVU” guest appearance would only add to his growing star even more.
Jun 7, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies outfielder Jake McCarthy (31) is unable to come down with a line drive in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
The Colorado Rockies always seem to a find their way into an outfield logjam. Admittedly, it took them slightly longer this year, but with Mickey Moniak beginning a rehab assignment with the Triple-Albuquerque Isotopes on Thursday—while Brenton Doyle and Jordan Beck are potentially nearing their own rehab assignments—things are about to get more crowded.
The Rockies currently have six players on the active roster designated as or able to play as outfielders. Including the three on the injured list, they’ve fielded nine different outfielders this season. The team also has two prospects in Triple-A that are getting closer and closer to big league call-ups. Once Moniak returns to the active roster—which is expected to happen as early as this Sunday against the Pittsburgh Pirates—the Rockies will have decisions to make when it comes to their outfield.
Here are the outfielders the Rockies have used to far.
Willi Castro, 1.0 rWAR
The switch-hitting Willi Castro is mostly an infielder for the Rockies this year, regularly playing a serviceable second base with a smattering of shortstop. However, he has decent experience playing in the outfield and has made nine appearances with 27 innings in the outfield. Most of his reps have come in left field, though he’s also had time in center. During that time he has five putouts with an assist and took part in a double play.
At the plate, Castro has turned into a consistent contributor. As of today he’s hitting .282/.359/.409 with 13 doubles, five home runs, and 32 RBIs, a 24.6% strikeout rate, and a 9.4% walk rate.
Troy Johnston, 0.2 rWAR
Johnston’s big personality and quality hitting has been one of the most delightful adds to the Rockies roster this season. Johnston is hitting .312/.373/.440 with three home runs, 34 RBIs, a 17.7% strikeout rate, and a 7.7% walk rate. His 21 doubles are the second most in Major League Baseball.
Defensively, Johnston has been… an adventure, worth -5 defensive runs saved, -2 outs above average, and a -2 fielding run value. Most of his reps have come in right field, though he’s fared slightly better in left. The less said about his glove-work at first base, the better.
Before hitting the injured list with an oblique contusion, Doyle had been hitting just .207/.279/.270 with just four doubles, one home run, and four RBIs. He had also stolen nine bases. In center field his defense had been—by the standard he has set in previous seasons—poor with -2 defensive runs saved, zero outs above average, and a -1 fielding run value.
Much like Doyle, Jordan Beck was off to a difficult start in 2026 before landing on the injured list. Beck was hitting only .183/.227/.305 with five doubles, one triple, one home run, and ten RBIs until getting sidelined with a hamstring strain. While hitting well against left-handed pitchers, his bat against right-handed pitchers was dire with just three total hits in 44 at-bats.
Beck’s defense has been fine this season, though he does better in left field than he does in right. As a left fielder he’s been worth two defensive runs saved with both zero outs above average and fielding run value. In right field he’s worth zero defensive runs saved and outs above average with a -2 fielding run value.
The surprise in-division trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks this off-season that brought Jake McCarthy into the fold seems to be paying off. McCarthy is hitting .288/.332/.445 with 12 doubles, three triples, four home runs, 27 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases.
Defensively, McCarthy has been a bit of a mixed bag. His truly excellent sprint speed and range makes him an ideal fit for center field, but he’s hindered by a weak arm. In center field he’s worth -4 defensive runs saved, zero outs above average, and has a fielding run value of one. With the emergence of other center field options, McCarthy has recently been playing more left field where he’s worth one out above average but zero defensive runs saved.
Tyler Freeman, -0.5 rWAR
Tyler Freeman has been one of the Rockies’ most consistent hitters over the last two seasons. While he doesn’t have much power—despite three home runs this season—he doesn’t strike out much and gets on base. He’s hitting .267/.348/.366 with just an 11.9% strikeout rate.
Freeman has found himself as a regular in right field for the Rockies, but his defense has dragged down his player value by wins above replacement into the negatives. He has a strong, but inaccurate arm and is worth -5 defensive runs saved and -1 outs above average. Freeman has made some legitimately good plays in right field this year, but more often than not his defense is subpar.
Before hitting the injured list with ankle tendonitis and foot swelling, Mickey Moniak looked to be a potential All-Star candidate for the Rockies. He was hitting .280/.335/.607 with nine doubles, two triples, 12 home runs, and 28 RBIs—though most of his success came against right-handed pitchers.
Like Freeman, Moniak’s value in 2025 suffered immensely due to poor defense. In 2026, Moniak was already worth -2 outs above average and fielding run value in right field over just 66 innings. However, a move to left has cleaned things up immensely. Moniak’s left field defense has been perfectly serviceable with zero defensive runs saved but one out above average and fielding run value. Ironic considering he can’t hit against lefties (5-for-28).
Sterlin Thompson, -0.2 rWAR
The first of two outfield MLB debuts this season, Florida product Sterlin Thompson (no. 13 PuRP) has been taking good at-bats but hasn’t quite unlocked the results to go along with them. Thompson is hitting .234/.319/.391 with four doubles, but recently hit his first two home runs and even got to experience some walk-off heroics.
Thompson has played a lot of defensive positions in his collegiate and professional career, but seems to have settled largely in left field. Right now he’s worth -1 in both defensive runs saved, outs above average, and fielding run value. Interestingly, Thompson has more big league starts as a designated hitter than he does in the outfield.
Cole Carrigg, 0.2 rWAR
One of the Rockies’ top prospects, Cole Carrigg (no. 4 PuRP) was a surprising relatively early call-up this season after a red-hot start in Triple-A Albuquerque. While he’s not quite hitting for average while slashing .222/.333/.528, four of his first eight big league hits are for extra bases and three have been home runs. Carrigg has more home runs and RBIs (8) than Brenton Doyle in a fourth of the games played and is four years younger than his center field teammate.
While his defense still needs to be refined, Carrigg has both the speed and range for center field and an absolute cannon of an arm—one of the best in the Rockies’ system and on par with Doyle’s. He represents one of the more difficult decisions the Rockies might need to make when Doyle begins a rehab assignment. Do you go with the two-time Gold Glove winner, or do you go with the much younger prospect with higher upside?
The Rockies have used nine different outfielders so far this season, but those outfielders have combined for just 0.8 wins above replacement per Baseball Reference. That’s also being generous by including Willi Castro, who has accumulated most of his WAR in the infield. Without Castro, the group is worth -0.2 rWAR.
It’s worth noting just how bad the group as a whole has been defensively. The Rockies outfield group is the second-worst in Major League Baseball with -20 defensive runs saved and are in the bottom ten league-wide when it comes to outs above average (-6) and fielding run value (-7).
At the plate there have been plenty of contributions, but outside of Moniak and Freeman it’s all been from newcomers. Doyle and Beck have both struggled at the plate before their respective injuries and now it feels like the pair—once potential pillars of the team’s future—could now be very replaceable. Especially when there are two more top prospects preparing to break down the door in Triple-A Albuquerque right now.
After a disastrous MLB debut last season, a newly sober and bulked up Zac Veen (no. 9 PuRP) has been tearing the cover off the ball with the Isotopes. He’s hitting .328/.416/.573 with 18 doubles, four triples, 11 home runs, and 48 RBIs. He’s seeing the ball well, drawing walks, and still has the speed to make him dangerous despite his new size. Veen can also play all three outfield positions.
Meanwhile, with the emergence of TJ Rumfield as a potential first baseman of the future, 2024 first round pick Charlie Condon (no. 1 PuRP) has been getting plenty of work in right field this season with the Isotopes. After a slow start, he’s also found his power stroke and is hitting 261/.392/.517 with 13 doubles, three triples, 14 home runs, and 44 RBIs.
It would be shocking of president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and his new-look Rockies front office wasn’t already using the information above to plan for the Rockies’ future in the outfield. However, the time to start making decisions with this crowded group is coming up quicker than expected. Two rookies have already made their debut with another on the way and Veen is making a strong case for another crack at the bigs. Three injured outfielders are coming closer to returning.The trade deadline is less than two months away.
You can’t carry 11 outfielders on a 26-man active roster. At the same time, simply saying “trade everyone you can and designate everyone else for assignment” isn’t necessarily realistic. Sometimes trades don’t materialize, or a return simply isn’t good enough. On the other hand, do you designate someone like Brenton Doyle for assignment if you can’t trade him when he is capable of elite center field defense when healthy?
What does the outfield group look like—both starters and bench players—after Moniak is reinstated? What does that group look like after the August 3rd trade deadline? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
With less than one week until the start of the 2026 NHL Draft, it appears that the New York Rangers are more likely to pick a defenseman at the fifth overall pick as opposed to a forward.
If defensemen including Chase Reid, Carson Carels, Keaton Verhoeff, or Alberts Šmits are available for the Rangers to take at the No. 5 selection, it may be difficult for the team to pass up on.
However, if the Rangers opt to go in a different direction, there is one obvious forward who would be their top choice.
Björck is considered to be the consensus No. 2 center in the draft, only behind Caleb Malhotra, who is projected to be selected before the Rangers’ pick.
This past season, Björck played 42 games in the SHL for Djurgårdens IF, recording 15 points and finishing the season in a top-line role.
“While his numbers will be nothing to lose your mind over, the fact that Björck played on the first line – often skating in more than 20 minutes a night – as a 17-year-old in one of the top leagues in the world is bonkers,” Steven Ellis of Daily Faceoff wrote. “Björck was electric at the World Juniors, showing a high-end blend of hockey sense and raw skill.”
The 17-year-old 5-foot-9 center made a name for himself competing for team Sweden at the 2026 World Championship, as he held his own against some of the top NHL’ers.
Despite his smaller frame, Björck doesn't let it affect his game, making up for it with his high hockey IQ and elite-level playmaking.
“He's the guy who can survive everywhere he goes, even though he's a smaller body," NHL Director of European Scouting Jukka-Pekka Vuorinen said. "He showed that in the Swedish Hockey League and also on the men's national team. ... He's like a Sidney Crosby-type player, and his hockey intelligence shows through with clever movement and spatial awareness in tight areas, which will, in my mind, help him adjust to the NHL in the future.”
If the Rangers do decide to take a forward with the No. 5 pick, keep an eye out for Björck.
A bipartisan crowd of NYC Council members are crying foul over the slew of streaming services gobbling up Mets and Yankees games -- and demanding the feds explore ways to improve the availability of baseball and other pro sports on free TV.
A bipartisan crowd of NYC Council members are crying foul over streaming services gobbling up Mets and Yankees games — and demanding the feds find a way to improve the availability of pro sports on free TV.
Councilmen Frank Morano (R-Staten Island) and Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) introduced a non-binding resolution on June 11 calling on Congress to review MLB’s antitrust exemption — which allows it to essentially operate as a monopoly — and “promote the availability of professional sports programming on free, over-the-air broadcast television.”
The measure stems from growing frustration over the increasing number of games being placed behind streaming paywalls and spread across a confusing web of subscription services.
A bipartisan crowd of NYC Council members are crying foul over the slew of streaming services gobbling up Mets and Yankees games — and demanding Congress explore ways to improve the availability of baseball and other pro sports on free TV. AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura
It notes both Yankee Stadium and Citi Field were built with significant public funding, providing MLB and the feds the chance to study the 1922 Supreme Court antitrust precedent and determine whether current broadcasting practices serve the public interest.
It also makes sense to grow the sport, the pols said.
“If a kid can’t easily watch the Mets or Yankees, that kid is less likely to become a lifelong fan,” said Morano, a longtime Mets fan. “The future of baseball depends on the next generation being able to experience the game.
“New Yorkers shouldn’t need five subscriptions just to watch their hometown team.”
The measure stems from growing frustration over the increasing number of games being placed behind streaming paywalls and spread across a confusing web of subscription services. Getty ImagesCouncilmen Frank Morano (a Republican from Staten Island pictured), and Harvey Epstein (D-Manhattan) introduced a non-binding resolution calling on Congress to review MLB’s antitrust exemption — which allows it to essentially operate as a monopoly — and “promote the availability of professional sports programming on free, over-the-air broadcast television.” Robert Miller
Most Mets and Yankees games are predominantly televised on their respective pay-service regional networks, SNY and YES, and on free TV, but fans also must shell out additional bucks for streaming services like Apple TV+, which holds exclusive rights to MLB’s Friday Night baseball package and costs $12.99 a month.
Amazon also holds regional streaming rights for 21 New York Yankees games this year, while Netflix scored rights to the Home Run Derby and other exclusive MLB games.
In the mid-1970s, nearly all Mets games and most Yankees games were on free TV.
There was a lot of speculation around the league that if Milwaukee was going to meet co-owner Jimmy Haslam's self-imposed deadline of wrapping up the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga by the June 23 NBA Draft, it would happen this weekend (so the parties involved were fully prepared for draft night. Will that come to pass, or will the saga drag on (maybe past the draft and into free agency)? The ball is in the Bucks' court.
Here are the latest rumors and reports around a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade.
Bucks asking too high a price?
Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst understands the stakes: If the Bucks trade away the best player in franchise history, a two-time MVP and NBA Champion, it has to get back a haul. What comes back in this trade will define how long and painful the Bucks' rebuild will be.
"The word that keeps coming back: 'Unrealistic.' The Bucks naturally want as much as they can if they're parting with their Face of the Franchise, so what constitutes unrealistic? Sources say Milwaukee has been asking teams for returns that would leave any club acquiring Antetokounmpo too barren to contend for a championship."
Fischer used Minnesota as an example, saying it talked to Milwaukee about trade parameters at the February deadline, and when the Timberwolves revisited those talks in recent weeks, the Bucks were asking for even more.
Take a step back, and this sounds like Miami (and maybe Boston and others) trying to do a little negotiating through the press. The Bucks are rightfully pushing for as much as they can get in a trade, and the Heat and others are trying to get the best deal for themselves. Eventually, the sides will compromise and find a deal. Or they won't.
Along those same lines, this is also why you keep hearing the names of other teams on the fringes of these talks — Minnesota and Orlando come to mind — being pushed. It's not that those teams couldn't seriously jump into the mix, but Milwaukee is trying to turn up the heat on a tepid trade market. Which brings us to....
Miami still the frontrunner
For all the attempts to bring other teams into the mix, Miami remains clear and away the most likely landing spot for Antetokounmpo if he is traded in the coming days. Don't take my word for it, here is the Ringer’s Zach Lowe appearing on The Dunker’s Spot podcast (a must-listen show).
"Miami is the frontrunner to me until I hear like concrete evidence that anyone has beaten the offer that has been sitting there for a long time. We don't know exactly what it is. We know that I keep seeing these reports like Milwaukee doesn't love Miami's offer. It's like, really? You don't think they do? He's still on the Bucks. Like, if they loved it, I think this would have been done by now. But I'm not even ruling out like a mystery team that that might jump in. These things can take some unpredictable turns as deadlines approach, and I think a big deadline is approaching. So, I would still brand Miami the front runner, but obviously the Bucks are waiting for more from them, whether they extract it via leverage, whether Miami just decides it we're done we just need to get it done. Because if they liked Miami's offer, he'd be on Miami."
For the record, Miami's offer is rumored to involve Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and draft capital. Miami would love to hold on to Jaquez or another player in that deal so they have more around Antetokounmpo (although the Heat are legendary for getting the most out of role players, who knows who steps up for them).
Detroit third team in trade?
Portland has long been seen as a third team involved in any Giannis Antetokounmpo trade (to Miami or elsewhere) because the Trail Blazers control some future Bucks first-rounders the rebuilding team would like back.
However, the latest report from NBA insider Marc Stein at The Stein Line is that Detroit is a team to be watched. The Pistons' offseason priority is to add shooting and secondary playmaking next to Cade Cunningham and Tyler Herro would provide exactly that, so Detroit would jump in as a third team, sending a young player (Ron Holland or Marcus Sasser) to Milwaukee along with draft picks for Herro, who seems a natural fit at the two in Detroit.
Consider it something to watch.
Orlando exec calls it “compliment” to be mentioned
Orlando's pops up in Antetokounmpo trade speculation, less because there is fire there and more because it makes sense to people outside the organization: The Magic have fallen short a few times with the Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner core, why not break it up and go all in with Antetokounmpo?
"I just think that, to me, I take it as a compliment that we have a lot of players that the league is interested in and that we could even be thrown into that conversation speaks to the talent on this roster," Weltman said. "So, that's my big takeaway from that."
League sources have told NBC Sports that Orlando plans to run it back with this core and bet on Sweeney being the coach who can fit the puzzle pieces together (and hopefully have better luck with health). This feels like a make-or-break season in Orlando, where this all comes together with Banchero and Wagner (and Sweeney getting the defense back to form) or there will be hard choices to make.
But that means Orlando is waiting a year, not jumping all in for Antetokounmpo now.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 09: Joey Bart #14 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits an RBI single scoring Konnor Griffin #6 against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the six inning at Oracle Park on May 09, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Braves are giving former Georgia Tech catcher Joey Bart his debut, catching and batting seventh. Bart was once a top prospect in baseball, but has settled in as a bat first serviceable veteran behind the plate. Michael Harris makes his return to the lineup, batting fifth and playing center in a huge boost to the Braves. Baldwin will DH and bat second, with Mauricio Dubon leading off and playing center. Jorge Mateo starts at shortstop and bats ninth.
Buffalo Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated in his comments at the season-ending media availability last month that at the top of his agenda was to work on extensions for defenseman Bowen Byram and winger Zach Benson. A report this week from TSN’s Darren Dreger indicated that one of those items may be more difficult than expected, as Byram’s name has begun circulating in trade speculation, but ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported on Friday that the Sabres are working on a long-term extension for Benson.
The 21-year-old winger is coming off an impressive nine-point performance in the playoffs after his third NHL season, and according to Weekes, the Sabres are looking to sign him to a seven-year deal in excess of $7 million per season, similar to what the club inked linemate Josh Doan to during the season. Benson is a restricted free agent this summer and has played the third-most games of any player selected at the 2023 NHL Draft (only Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli have played more).
"We locked up Josh early, because we saw the character, the competitiveness, and potential for a leadership role long to the future." Kekalainen said. "(Zach is a) true core piece that fills all the boxes, maybe not the height, (but) everything else. The way he plays, how he's just relentless, a dog on the bone. I can't say enough good things about Zach Benson. He's got skill, he's got hockey sense, he's got instincts. He's relentless, he's a competitor."
Thoughts on the Michael Kesselring trade to San Jose
The Sabres enter the summer with just under $12 million in available cap space, with Benson, and forward Peyton Krebs as restricted free agents and wingers Alex Tuch and Beck Malenstyn as unrestricted free agents.The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, and The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun all reported last week that there is a significant gap between the Sabres and Tuch on a new deal.
The 30-year-old is expected to draw the most attention on July 1 and is reportedly looking for more than $10 million per season on a long-term deal. With the Sabres limited cap space this summer, if they lock up Benson to an extension, it would likely mean the end of any chance of re-signing Tuch, unless they clear out other contracts to make room.
Buffalo could facilitate some return for Tuch, by trading him his negotiating rights before the start of free agency or doing a sign-and-trade at or around the NHL Draft, as Toronto did with Tampa Bay defenseman Darren Raddysh on Friday, but that would likely result in a mid-round pick, as the Lightning got for the pending free-agent blueliner.
The Knicks just finished off a season in which they ended a 53-year long championship drought by hoisting the Larry O'Brian Trophy after beating the San Antonio Spurs, 4-1.
They'll now look to defend their title next year and will do so by adding some young talent to the roster in this year's NBA Draft. New York owns the No. 24 pick, as well as the No. 31 pick (via the Washington Wizards) and the No. 55 pick.
So, here's what the draft experts have the Knicks doing in the first round.
Lopez possesses a powerful, yoked frame and projects as a big-bodied forward who can, in theory, be a three-and-D threat. Both the jumper and the defense are a work in progress, but the good thing for the Knicks is that they have time to wait to see if the potential can turn into production. New York would be a strong landing spot because Lopez wouldn't be overextended.
The Knicks hadn't even enjoyed their championship parade yet when team governor James Dolan warned of possible spending restrictions this summer. If Mitchell Robinson didn't feel like a major flight risk in the afterglow of that title run, the bouncy big fella sure feels like one now.
Frontcourt reinforcements might be a must here, in other words, and Cenac could intrigue for the possibility of filling multiple roles within it. He lacks polish (with his skills and his approach), but he has big man size and swingman fluidity, so with the right amount of patience, he could handle minutes at the 4 and the 5 with ease.
The Knicks have prioritized scrappy, high-motor players capable of winning the possession battle through rebounds and turnovers like Stanford freshman Ebuka Okorie.
The first-team All-ACC guard was a day-one starter in the NCAA who is potentially capable of earning rotation minutes for a team like the 76ers. He averaged 23.2 points per game, recording 40 points against conference rival Virginia Tech and seven other games with at least 30 points. Okorie has earned serious first-round buzz and should intrigue teams in this range, who may like the high assist-to-turnover ratio he recorded (2.3) last season.
Veesaar's perimeter shooting and sheer size should give him a path to rotation minutes relatively early and have put him in play for first-round teams that need depth at center. The Knicks are a team that probably will look at bigs, whether at this spot or later, with Robinson a pending free agent.
The Knicks also have the No. 31 pick, giving them bookend picks on this next range of the draft and a pathway to adding two potential rotation players in a cost-effective way -- a highly important task as they work to sustain a contending roster.
Congratulations to Knicks fans for winning the championship! Robinson grabbed a clutch offensive rebound in the closing moments of the game, but he’s a free agent this offseason so the Knicks may need to replace him. Peat's bloodline is so loaded with offensive linemen that it's almost funny he ended up playing basketball. His father played nine NFL seasons. His uncle was a Pro Bowl tackle. Two brothers played college ball on the line. And you can absolutely see it in how he plays: powerful, physical, relentless, and it genuinely takes something special to stop him from getting to where he wants to go.
He opened the season with a 30-point game against defending champion Florida and backed it up as one of Arizona's best players all year on its way to the Final Four. Since Peat can’t shoot yet, it’ll be important that he’s paired with a floor-spacing center like Karl-Anthony Towns. Or he could serve as a small-ball center in switchable lineups. So even though Peat entered the year with top-10 hopes, it might be a blessing in disguise for him to fall to the end of the first round.
That, of course, makes life a little different for the club’s amateur scouting staff leading up to the 2026 NHL draft. Barring a trade, the Flyers will pick at 21st overall. It’s their lowest first-round spot since 2020.
So the Flyers know the draft is still critical to what they want to do, even when they’re lower in the order.
“We’ve said it for a long time, we wanted to build a team that was going to be here for a long time; not just to go for it for a year or two,” general manager Danny Briere said last month. “That’s still the same approach on my end.”
After the recent trade with the Maple Leafs, the Flyers have only four picks in this draft, which will be held June 26-27. The first round is Friday at 7 p.m. ET, while Rounds 2-7 are Saturday starting at 11 a.m. ET.
“I’ll tell you how I feel about drafts and I’ll be totally blunt with you,” TSN director of scouting Craig Button said June 2 in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “I think it’s f—ing bulls–t when I hear about, ‘Oh, this draft isn’t as good.’ Here are the numbers. Approximately 45 players from any draft will play 350 games or more in the NHL. It might be 47 one year, 42 another year. That’s the number — you get 45 players that’ll play 350 games or more with varying degrees of success.
“And I know this about the draft. The teams that get good players from the draft say it was a good draft. The teams that don’t get good players from the draft say it wasn’t a good draft. So when people start telling me about a draft ahead of time, I call bulls–t.”
“What you’re trying to do is find a player that you feel has the potential to be an NHL player,” Button said. “That might be a third-line center, that might be a second-line scoring winger. Hey, listen, maybe you get David Pastrnak, who’s a superstar (drafted 25th overall in 2014).
“But the focus has to be on, ‘OK, what type of player do we like, what type of player do we think the guy can be?’ And then get after it and understand what the development path is, and then try to help that player be the best he can be. Put a stake in the ground and celebrate who you’re drafting.”
Before the draft arrives, we’re breaking down first-round targets for the Flyers.
Next up:
Brooks Rogowski
Position: Center Height: 6-foot-7 Weight: 235 Shoots: Right Team: Oshawa
Scouting report
The massive pivot uses his frame and length to be a disruptive role player. He’ll make life difficult on the opponent by setting up in front of the net and being opportunistic offensively. He also moves well for his size.
Rogowski was limited to 46 games this season because of some injuries, but he put up 42 points (15 goals, 27 assists) in 46 games for Oshawa. He had nine multi-point games. His minus-24 rating came on a Generals team that finished last in the OHL and owned a minus-96 goal differential.
The 17-year-old opened some eyes with his effectiveness on Team USA at the 2026 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship, a tournament that ended last month. Rogowski had three assists and a plus-4 rating in four games.
“The thing with him was I actually liked him the best at the U-18s,” Daily Faceoff associate editor and prospect analyst Steven Ellis said last Tuesday in a phone interview with NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He was a fourth-line center at that tournament. I think that was where he really started to show that when he’s in a fourth-line role, he can overwhelm guys, he can go out there and take space away, push guys around. He has got the big frame obviously — 6-foot-7 and, like, 2-bazillion pounds. He’s a heavy dude.”
Rogowski, who turns 18 next week, probably has a ceiling of a third-line center in the NHL. He’s not expected to be a scorer at the next level, so his upside is not as high. But his sheer size and mobility could give him a real solid career.
“He really showed he can be a prototypical fourth-line center who can actually move pretty well, he can bully guys,” Ellis said. “He’s not necessarily a mean player, but he can be if he needs to and he has got a long reach.
“It seems like a fourth-line center is kind of where he is and that’s partly why I don’t really have him highly rated. I think he’s going to play a lot of games in the NHL, which is why he’s at least a second-round pick. But I don’t think he’s a first-round talent, that’s my concern.”
Those selections may make Rogowski a little less appealing to the Flyers.
But if the Flyers wanted to continue with an imposing look down the middle, Rogowski would bolster that theme. The Flyers would have a ton of size with Rogowski, Nesbitt, Gard and Jack Berglund, a 2024 second-rounder.
However, Rogowski might project as a fourth-liner in the NHL. It’s possible the Flyers would like more potential at No. 21. If anything, perhaps they could aim for him by trading up in the second round. And that’s if Rogowski falls into the Day 2 action.
Kyle Schwarber currently leads the big leagues in home runs with 25, and while he's only gone deep twice in his last 12 games, there's reason to believe No. 26 is around the corner.
Schwarber is consistently getting under the baseball, and he's up against Freddy Peralta tonight. The righty has allowed 1.26 HR/9 over his last five appearances, and Schwarber has taken Peralta yard twice in 15 at-bats.
He's homered four times over his last six games and six times across his previous 12 contests. The Chicago Cubs star carries a mind-boggling .640 ISO in the last week into today's matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The matchup isn't overwhelmingly favorable, but Crow-Armstrong is squaring up everything right now and generating the type of contact that can overcome even solid pitching.
I'll play this pick up to +400.
Time: 2:20 p.m. ET
Where to watch: Marquee Sports Network, Sportsnet
Home run pick: Bryan Reynolds (+379)
Bryan Reynolds is tearing the cover off the baseball right now, carrying a .571 ISO and 29.4% barrel rate over his last six games. His average exit velocity during that span sits at 98.1 mph, and Reynolds has gone deep three times over the last week. Tonight's matchup only adds to the appeal.
Reynolds will face Tomoyuki Sugano at Coors Field, where the ball tends to carry due to the high elevation. The right-hander has allowed 1.80 home runs per nine innings across his last two starts while surrendering a 38.5% hard-hit rate. He's also struggled immensely against left-handed hitters, allowing 2.27 home runs per nine innings.
Lock this one in. I'll play this pick up to +300.
Time: 9:10 p.m. ET
Where to watch: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Rockies.TV
Quinn Allen's 2026 Transparency Record
HR picks: 10-66, -17.58 units
Today’s HR parlay
Kyle Schwarber
Bet Now +8703
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Bryan Reynolds
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
The Philadelphia Phillies look to get back into the win column tonight when they send Cristopher Sanchez to the mound against the New York Mets.
Both clubs have been near the bottom of the barrel offensively over the past month, but Sanchez gives the hosts the edge in our MLB odds.
I’m taking Philadelphia in my Mets vs. Phillies predictions and free MLB picks in what should be a low-scoring contest on Saturday, June 20.
Who will win Mets vs Phillies today: Phillies moneyline (-190)
It’s early, but Cristopher Sanchez is already making his case for the NL Cy Young. In fact, he is FanGraphs’ current favorite to win the award.
The Philadelphia Phillies starter ranks in the 99th percentile in pitching run value while boasting a stingy 2.95 xERA and .222 xBA. Sanchez also ranks second in the majors in strikeouts (116) thanks to his nasty changeup.
The New York Mets are 23rd in runs scored (102) as well as batting average (.235) over the last 30 days. They’ll look even worse against Sanchez as the team is collectively hitting .238 against southpaws.
Mets vs Phillies Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-110)
The Mets (102; 23rd) and Phillies (99; 24th) both rank near the bottom of the MLB in runs scored over the last 30 days, and I’m expecting both starters to have the upper hand tonight.
Mets starter Freddy Peralta has historically had success vs. the Phillies lineup, with only Bryce Harper (3-for-14; .214) and Edmundo Sosa (2-for-5; .400) batting better than .200 vs. the right-hander.
Unsurprisingly, the Under has cashed in each of Sanchez’s last seven starts.
Chris Faria's 2026 Transparency Record
ML/RL bets: 2-1, +0.71 units
Over/Under bets: 1-2, -1.12 units
Mets vs Phillies weather
Notes on the weather and its impact.
Mets vs Phillies odds
Moneyline: New York +170 | Philadelphia -178
Run line: New York +1.5 (-122) | Philadelphia -1.5 (+117)
Over/Under: Over 7.5 (-104) | Under 7.5 (-100)
Mets vs Phillies trend
The Mets are just 2-9 as the road underdog this season, the second-worst win percentage in the majors. Find more MLB betting trends for Mets vs. Phillies.
How to watch Mets vs Phillies and game info
Location
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
Date
Saturday, June 20, 2026
First pitch
7:15 p.m. ET
TV
FOX
Mets starting pitcher
Freddy Peralta (5-5, 3.90 ERA)
Phillies starting pitcher
Cristopher Sanchez (8-3, 1.82 ERA)
Mets vs Phillies latest injuries
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.
EXCLUSIVE: TMZ Sports caught up with Detective Elliot Stabler himself — Christopher Meloni — out in NYC fresh off the Knicks' championship win this week … and had to ask about Finals MVP Jalen Brunson wanting to show off his acting chops. 
Kyle Schwarber
Pete Crow-Armstrong
Bryan Reynolds
COVERS INTEL: