Michigan State received no votes in US LBM Coaches Poll preseason rankings, while Michigan football is ranked No. 14. Here's a look at Big Ten teams.
Michigan football ranked inside top 15 of preseason coaches poll for 2025 season
Michigan football is thought of pretty highly in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll, however the Wolverines are ranked behind four other Big Ten teams.
Analyzing preseason friendlies is maddening, but right now it’s all we have | Jonathan Wilson
Every team enters preseason at a different stage of readiness and with different goals, making results hard to decipher
Glory for Manchester United, who lifted the Premier League summer series on Sunday despite twice being pegged back by Everton to draw 2-2 in Atlanta. A degree of relief for West Ham, who beat Bournemouth to finish second in the competition despite all the gloomy prognostications about their campaign to come. In Seoul, meanwhile, there was a very Tottenham moment as they followed the glee of last week’s 1-0 win over Arsenal with a 1-1 draw against Newcastle in which James Maddison was stretchered off with a knee injury described by his manager Thomas Frank as “bad”.
It all looks real, it sounds real and yet everybody knows it isn’t real. That even now, in this age of data and minute analysis, there remains an element of randomness, is one of soccer’s great joys as a sport. But that tendency is magnified in pre-season.
Continue reading...Braves lose third baseman Austin Riley to IL for 2nd time in 2 months with abdominal strain
ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley was placed on the 10-day injured list for the second time in two months with a strained lower abdominal muscle on Monday.
Riley suffered the injury while tagging out Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz near home plate in the Braves’ 4-2 win on Sunday in the rain-delayed MLB Speedway Classic at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Riley also landed on the IL on July 12 with a strained abdomen. He returned on July 25.
The Braves recalled infielders Nacho Alvarez Jr. and Jonathan Ornelas from Triple-A Gwinnett before opening a home series against Milwaukee on Monday night. The team optioned outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett following Sunday’s game.
Riley is hitting .260 with 16 homers and 54 RBI.
NHL Prospect Pool Overview ’25-26: Seattle Kraken Deep Down The Middle Of The Ice
The Seattle Kraken are here in the NHL prospect pool overview series.
Tony Ferrari digs into the Kraken’s strengths and weaknesses, latest draft class, positional depth chart, next player in line for an NHL opportunity and more. A player who no longer holds rookie eligibility in the NHL is considered graduated and no longer a prospect for these exercises, with few exceptions.
Initial Thoughts
The Seattle Kraken are a young franchise, but they’ve quickly built up a very solid prospect pool, with a focus on center depth and players who play a strong transition game. Some players don’t fit that bill perfectly, but they seem to have a type.
Berkly Catton is among the more interesting players in the pipeline, looking like a player that could be a potential game breaker with his speed and evasiveness combined with his elite playmaking touch. Catton has surpassed the 100-point mark in each of the last two seasons, scoring at a 1.8 point per game clip over that time. He is in the awkward position of being just too young for the AHL, being a January 2006 birthday, while also having proven everything he could have at the WHL level. The NHL is an option, but that would be a big jump. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him stick out of training camp and eventually be sent back to junior before the World Junior Championship, where he could lead Team Canada.
Leaping into pro hockey this season will be Carson Rehkopf, a winger who plays a tactical game and gets into shooting positions with ease. Whether he is attacking off the rush or hunting down pockets of space away from the puck, Rehkopf might be the most natural finisher in the Seattle pipeline. He’s grown into much more than a triggerman over the last couple of years though, developing a passing game that utilizes delays and quick cuts to change angles and open lanes. Rehkopf could be a player who makes an instant impact in the AHL and finds himself in NHL games by season’s end.
The development of Clarke Caswell over the last few years has been interesting. He’s a strong transition forward who can weave his way up ice with speed, generating lateral quickness from crossovers. He also possesses some of the most impressive play connecting ability in the pipeline, consistently looking to make quick decisions or smart little bumper passes. He can make plays from all over the zone, going low-to-high or finding a late man in the zone for a scoring chance. Caswell is a very smart player all over the ice, and there could be a steady and tactical middle-six forward in the NHL one day.
Jagger Firkus is a jitterbug who is an electric offensive presence with an absolute whippy shot and some incredibly creative passing. Firkus is a crafty player, and there were some growing pains in his first AHL season, but he could be in line for a breakout season. His puck handling makes him slippery, cutting laterally or shifting his weight to give himself a small shooting window or passing lane. There aren’t many more entertaining players to watch in the AHL.
After three steady years of improvement at the SHL level, Danish forward Oscar Fisker Molgaard joined the AHL’s Coachella Valley Firebirds to end last season and looked like he fit right in. Fisker Molgaard is a player who focuses on the details, ensuring he’s doing the little things and finding success because of it. He’s a very fluid skater who gets around the ice with ease, using his mobility to impact the game defensively, aided by excellent reads on the backcheck. He should be a player who finds plenty of success as a third-line center one day, using the intelligence and poise that he plays with to pick apart opponents tactically.
Former OHLers David Goyette and Eduard Sale had some ups and downs in their first full AHL season. Goyette is an elite passer who sees the ice as well as anyone. Sale is a player who skates into space and fires passes through traffic on the move. Both of them struggled to deal with the physicality a bit, with Goyette in particular taking some time to adjust. Both Sale and Goyette are immensely talented players, and they will need to take a step this season in the AHL.
It was a bit surprising to see Ty Nelson step into the AHL and have such an immediate impact. He’s always been a very engaged and driven player, but there was always concern about whether he would be able to continue that at the pro level, given his size. Nelson will throw his weight around, and he has a massive shot. In a lot of ways, Nelson plays a bit bigger than he actually is. When he’s engaged, he is a cerebral player. He will have to continue finding ways to prove his size isn’t an issue, but he’s built like a truck and loves to get involved in all aspects of the game.
Last year was a bit tough for Caden Price. In his final junior season, he was traded, which isn’t an uncommon occurrence, but he really struggled to find his footing after the trade. Price is a mobile defender who is at his best when he’s not trying to do too much at either end of the ice. He’s a capable defender who uses his feet and his frame to cut play off and turn it around, but sometimes he can get into chase mode and loses his positioning. Offensively, he’s a very crafty passer who can activate on the backside and become a shooting threat, but his reads aren’t always on point. Heading into his first AHL season, he will need to refine things on the decision-making front.
Lukas Dragicevic is a defender who loves attacking up ice, leading the rush and is developing a killer instinct. This past season, he elevated his offensive game even further, looking to push the pace when he had the puck on his stick. Dragicevic is a great straight-line mover, but he isn’t the most laterally capable skater, particularly at speed. That aspect usually shows up in his defensive coverage. He’s turning pro this fall, and it will be interesting to see what kind of role they give him out of the gate in the AHL. He has the offensive tools to be a rush-attacking blueliner and a potential power play quarterback, but his defensive game could limit his ice time if he doesn’t clean up his footwork a bit.
U-23 Players Likely To Be On NHL Roster This Season
Shane Wright (C), Matty Beniers (C)
2025 NHL Draft Class
Round 1, 8th overall - Jake O'Brien, C, Brantford (OHL)
Round 2, 36th overall - Blake Fiddler, D, Edmonton (WHL)
Round 3, 68th overall - Will Reynolds, D, Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Round 5, 134th overall - Maxim Agafonov, D, Ufa Tolpar (Rus)
Round 7, 205th overall - Karl Annborn, D, HV71 Jr. (Swe)
Round 7, 218th overall - Loke Krantz, LW, Linkoping HC Jr. (Swe)
The Seattle Kraken love to draft centers, and they continued with that trend in the first round, taking Jake O’Brien out of the OHL. Part of the reason O’Brien was such an intriguing prospect who was constantly on the rise in the first half of the year was his physical gifts and the runway that he has in terms of filling out. He’s a tall, skinny kid who has already shown the elements of being a near-elite playmaker. If O’Brien can add some muscle over the next couple of years, he could very easily find himself to be a dominant blend of skill and power.
O’Brien is one of the premier playmakers in the 2025 draft class. His vision and play-reading ability with the puck on his stick is impressive, understanding where defenders are leaning and how they are trying to structure themselves to exploit where the lanes are. He is a good shooter as well, and adding some muscle will give him a bit more of a power option. O’Brien’s top ten selection is a bet on skill and potential.
In the second round, the Kraken took advantage of the slight fall for Blake Fiddler, adding the defensive blueliner to their pipeline. Fiddler’s not your typical stay-at-home blueliner. His game offers much more versatility. He’s not an offensive wiz by any means, but he’s more than capable of providing his partner with an outlet or taking the breakout into his own hands as a passer or skater. There are some tools that Fiddler possesses that he could use to attack offensively, but instead, he opts to be the safety blanket who is a reliable option. He has more puck skill than he leads on.
They doubled down on defensive defensemen in round three, taking Will Reynolds out of the QMJHL. His physicality and mobility allow him to shut plays down quickly. He gaps up and closes space as attackers receive passes in the neutral zone, finishes his checks, and doesn’t mess around when the puck is on his stick. He knows what he is, and that’s not an offensive dynamo. He’s a shutdown defender, and he plays a reserved game with the puck, making the simple play.
Seattle went back to the blueline again in round five, taking Russian defender Maxim Agafonov. He’s an interesting player because there are moments that make him look like a very capable two-way defender. He has the mobility and physical play to be a solid play killer, and his flashes of puck carrying ability are intriguing, but the wild inconsistencies and complete lack of motor at times really make him a tough projection. The Kraken drafted him for his potential because of his size, skating, and the fact that he’s right-handed.
The Kraken drafted do-it-all defenseman Karl Annborn with their first of two seventh round picks. Annborn is an interesting prospect because he’s been on the scene for a while now, consistently finding his way onto international teams and consistently playing above his age group on his club team. While he’s always held his head above water and looked solid, he’s never been a player who stood out. Whether he ends up becoming a solid pro in Sweden or a low-end guy in North America, there’s some confidence in Annborn being a long-time pro.
Capping of the Kraken’s draft was Loke Krantz, a big forward from Sweden with a heavy shot and a physical edge. He isn’t the most skilled player, and he certainly doesn’t blow by opposing players, but he shows some good puck protection, and he excels at finding good positioning around the net. He’s a simple player in several ways, but NHL teams love his archetype on the fourth line.
Strengths
The sheer amount of legitimate center depth that the Kraken prospect pool possesses is unreal. They have two higher-end center prospects in Catton and O’Brien, both of whom could be top-six options. Fisker-Molgaard is a two-way force who plays a detailed game. Goyette has been an offensive force everywhere he has been, so there is faith he will figure it out after a trying season in the AHL as a rookie. Ollie Josephson is a transition machine who just gets pucks up ice and makes smart plays with it. Ryan Winterton, Tucker Robertson and Nathan Villeneuve are all at least potential surprise prospects who could wind up in the NHL. Some of these guys will move to the wing, especially with the NHL club already having U23 players Wright and Beniers down the middle, but that’s okay because they’ll need wingers as well, and the added versatility will be nice.
Weaknesses
The Kraken have a very good prospect pool and even their netminders are solid, but none of them have truly stood out as of yet. Nikke Kokko is steady, and he’s been good internationally for Finland, but he’s not really a goalie you can look at to be the guy. Kim Saarinen and Visa Vedenpaa are decent projects, but they have a long way to go to become potential NHL options. The Kraken have been lucky enough to find Joey Daccord at the NHL level for the time being, but they’ll need someone in the crease to step up and fill in behind him eventually and right now, they don’t have a guy that projects.
Hidden Gem: Ollie Josephson, C
Although he lacks the flash of the Kraken’s top prospects, Ollie Josephson is one of the steadiest center prospects around from a defensive point of view. He leverages his high-end mobility and quick thinking to consistently put himself between the puck and the next best option. When he’s defending on the puck or the back check, he’s a hound who gets into the pocket of the puck carrier and pickpockets them. He’s a focused defensive player who always looks for the opportunity to turn the play around and attack up ice. Josephson is heading into his final junior season next year, and you hope to see him get a bit of a boost offensively just to prove that he’s able to keep up. If he can take that step offensively, something he has all of the tools to do, he should transition to the AHL the following year with ease.
Next Man Up: Jani Nyman, RW
At the tail end of last season, Jani Nyman made the jump to the NHL, and he looked better than expected. He showed himself to be a solid complementary forward, making quick one-touch passes or smart play connecting plays to advance the puck. Nyman is at his best when he’s an off-puck finisher who can find a pocket and get his shot off as soon as he collects the pass. Nyman brought some solid secondary scoring in his dozen-game call-up.
If he can show himself to be capable of that in camp, he should be one of the newest additions to the team to start the season. There aren’t many other prospects that might be ready to jump into the NHL outside of the odd chance that Catton, Rehkopf or Firkus jump up into the NHL, but all of them look like they are at least a year away at this point.
Prospect Depth Chart Notables
LW: Carson Rehkopf, Clarke Caswell, Julius Miettinen, Justin Janicke
C: Berkly Catton, Jake O’Brien, Oscar Fisker Molgaard, Ollie Josephson, David Goyette, Ryan Winterton, Nathan Villenueve, Tucker Robertson
RW: Jagger Firkus, Eduard Sale, Jani Nyman, Andrei Loshko, Loke Krantz
LD: Ryker Evans, Caden Price, Jakub Fibigir, Karl Annborn, Tyson Jugnaugh, Will Reynolds
RD: Blake Fiddler, Lukas Dragicevic, Ty Nelson, Maxim Agafonov, Kaden Hammell, Alexis Bernier, Ville Ottavainen
G: Nikke Kokko, Kim Saarinen, Visa Vedenpaa, Semyon Vyazovoi
For a deeper dive into the prospect pool with player rankings, check out the Yearbook and Future Watch editions of The Hockey News in print.
Surprise! There’s been quite a bit of parity in the race for baseball’s best record
The 2025 regular season was supposed to be about Dodger dominance.
Instead, the race for baseball’s best record has turned into a free for all.
If there were any concerns about a Los Angeles behemoth running roughshod over the sport, that hasn’t materialized so far. In fact, eight different teams have spent the past three months passing baseball’s best record around like a hot potato.
The race for the top record in the major leagues is in many ways symbolic. Home field advantage in the postseason isn’t quite the prize it is in the NFL or NBA, and there’s no Presidents’ Trophy given for regular-season excellence like in the NHL. But the number of teams that have taken a turn at the top is noteworthy. Since May 1, the Dodgers, Tigers, Padres, Mets, Phillies, Cubs, Brewers and Blue Jays all have held the best record at some point.
Five of those teams have held the top spot in an even more recent span — since July 1.
Since the American League and National League began expanding significantly in 1961, this is only the fifth time at least eight teams have held (or tied for) the best record in baseball through games of May 1 or later, according to Sportrader. One of those seasons was 2020, when the whole 60-game schedule was after that date. The others were 1963 (eight teams), 1982 (eight) and 2021 (nine).
The largest lead any team has been able to open on the rest of the majors — all season — is when Detroit was three games up for a few days shortly before the All-Star break.
Here are the teams (or pairs of teams) that have led the major league standings at the end of each day since the start of May.
May 1-7: Dodgers
May 8-9: Dodgers and Tigers
May 10: Padres
May 11-12: Dodgers
May 13: Mets and Tigers
May 14: Tigers
May 15: Dodgers and Tigers
May 16-22: Tigers
May 23-27: Phillies
May 28-June 10: Tigers
June 11-12: Mets
June 13-24: Tigers
June 25-26: Dodgers and Tigers
June 27: Dodgers
June 28-30: Dodgers and Tigers
July 1-4: Dodgers
July 5: Dodgers and Tigers
July 6-18: Tigers
July 19: Cubs
July 20: Tigers
July 21: Brewers
July 22: Brewers and Cubs
July 23-24: Brewers
July 25-27: Blue Jays
July 28-Aug. 3: Brewers
Trivia time
Seven of baseball’s current franchises have never finished with game’s best regular-season record. Who are they?
LA’s story
For the first few weeks of the season, it looked like the Dodgers might indeed be on their way to well over 100 wins. The defending champs — who had added pitchers Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki in the offseason — won their first eight games, but since then Los Angeles has looked mortal. In early June, the Dodgers had 14 pitchers on the injured list, and although they’re in first place in their division, their current winning percentage of .580 would be their worst since 2018 if that’s where they finish the season.
Line of the week
Pittsburgh’s Liover Peguero hit three home runs in an 8-5 loss to Colorado. It was a tough defeat to swallow for the Pirates, who actually gave ace Paul Skenes some run support, only for him to allow four runs in five-plus innings.
Comeback of the week
On the topic of tough losses to swallow, the Pirates also fell to the Rockies — after scoring nine runs in the top of the first. Pittsburgh led 16-10 before allowing two in the eighth and five in the bottom of the ninth. Brenton Doyle hit a two-run homer to win it 17-16 for Colorado, which had a win probability of 0.5% in the eighth according to Baseball Savant.
The Rockies are the only team this season to win after falling nine runs behind, and they continue to make progress in their effort to avoid matching or breaking the modern record for losses set by the Chicago White Sox last year. Colorado went 3-3 this week and is now 30-81 on the season. The White Sox went 41-121
Trivia answer
Unsurprisingly, the seven are among the majors’ younger franchises — the Rays, Diamondbacks, Marlins, Rockies, Blue Jays, Padres and Rangers.
Of the teams that have finished with the best record in baseball, the one with the longest current drought is the Twins, who last did so in 1965.
Giannis Antetokounmpo reportedly had 'some very real conversations' with Bucks about unsettled future
Until Giannis Antetokounmpo clearly, definitively says, "I will be a Milwaukee Buck next season," the speculation about his future will not stop. The Knicks’ decision to extend Mikal Bridges — making him unavailable for trade for six months, something they would not have done if they believed Antetokounmpo would be available this summer — has not slowed the rumors. Even if the Greek Freak came out today and said he was staying put on social media, the rumors would not stop.
That speculation continued on Monday when Shams Charania appeared on ESPN's Get Up.
"Sources tell me there's still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving."
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 4, 2025
—@ShamsCharaniapic.twitter.com/ouhenIqxMs
"Sources tell me there's still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving. And so, he's going to continue to evaluate his future...There's been some very real conversations over the past week or so. The constant question that Giannis has though is, 'Can I win a championship with this roster? Is this roster going to be one for this upcoming year and 2026-2027?' He wants to win a second championship... "This is a very tough decision for him. This is 12 years he's spent there. There's a lot of equity there."
Antetokounmpo's only public comments on the situation had him suggesting he is likely to stay: "Probably. Probably, we'll see. Probably, I love Milwaukee."
Those comments came after the Bucks made a bold move to show Antetokounmpo how committed they are to winning, stretching-and-waiving the injured Damian Lillard to get an upgrade at center in Myles Turner.
While the Bucks still seem one player away (unless Khris Middleton can regain his All-Star/Olympian form), Antetokounmpo has to ask himself if the other teams he might jump to really get him closer to a ring? If he moves to a team in the West such as Golden State (a team rumored to have interest), he will have to run a gauntlet of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champion Thunder (bringing everyone back from a 68-win team), Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, Kevin Durant and the Rockets, Anthony Edwards and the Mavericks, LeBron James and Luka Doncic with the Lakers, and the list goes on and on. Jumping to a team in the East creates its own problems. Go to New York and the cost of adding Antetokounmpo would gut the roster of the depth that makes them a contender (again, Mikal Bridges is off the table until at least the trade deadline, plus the Knicks don't have nearly enough remaining draft picks to entice Milwaukee). A trade to Miami would create the same depth issue, plus the Heat also do not have enough draft picks. Cleveland is over the second apron and doesn't have the needed massive salary to make an Antetokounmpo trade.
The list goes on and on. Whatever Antetokounmpo thinks of the Bucks roster and chances, it may be the best of his options, and it remains a place where he has strong ties to the community, where his family is established and happy. There are good reasons for Antetokounmpo to say he "probably" will be back in Milwaukee.
But until he takes the qualifying "probably" out of his statement, the speculation will continue.
Mets' Edwin Diaz named NL Reliever of the Month for July
Mets closer Edwin Diaz was virtually unhittable in the month of July, and he has now been named NL Reliever of the Month for his efforts.
Diaz appeared in 10 games this past month, pitching 11.0 innings while striking out 18 batters without allowing an earned run. He didn’t allow a hit in six of those outings, and picked up seven saves in the month.
An All-Star this season for the third time, Diaz has been one of the best relievers in the game this year, pitching to a miniscule 1.44 ERA with 65 strikeouts in 43.2 innings. Diaz’s 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings are the most for any NL pitcher who has faced at least 130 batters this season.
Diaz has not allowed an earned run since June 2 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and hasn’t allowed an earned run in 39 of his 43 appearances this season.
The Mets’ closer also took home the NL Reliever of the Month Award in May, when he tossed 11 scoreless appearances, and he’s likely the favorite to take home the Trevor Hoffman Award as NL Reliever of the Year (which he also won in 2022).
Royals at Red Sox Prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends and stats for August 4
Its Monday, August 4 and the Royals (56-56) are in Boston to take on the Red Sox (62-51).
Bailey Falter is slated to take the mound for Kansas City against Brayan Bello for Boston.
Both these teams are playing well. The Royals arrive in Beantown having taken two of three over the weekend in Toronto while the Sox swept the Astros in Boston.
Lets dive into the series and specifically tonight's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Royals at Red Sox
- Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
- Time: 7:10PM EST
- Site: Fenway Park
- City: Boston, MA
- Network/Streaming: FDSNKC, NESN
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Royals at the Red Sox
The latest odds as of Monday:
- Moneyline: Royals (+135), Red Sox (-160)
- Spread: Red Sox -1.5
- Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Royals at Red Sox
- Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: Bailey Falter vs. Brayan Bello
- Royals: Bailey Falter (7-5, 3.73 ERA)
Last outing: July 29 at San Francisco - 1.80 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 1 Strikeouts - Red Sox: Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19 ERA)
Last outing: July 30 at Minnesota - 1.29 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 5 Hits Allowed, 4 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
- Royals: Bailey Falter (7-5, 3.73 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Royals at Red Sox
- The Red Sox have won 16 of their last 20 games at home
- Each of the Royals' last 5 road games with the Red Sox have stayed under the Total
- The Red Sox have covered the Run Line in 11 of their last 13 games
- Brayan Bello has struck out 4 or 5 opposing hitters in each of his last 4 starts
- Alex Bregman was 2-11 over the weekend against his former team
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Royals and the Red Sox
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Royals and the Red Sox:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Boston Red Sox on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Kansas City Royals at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
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A’s find hope in Nick Kurtz and young stars as team eyes Las Vegas in 2028
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Even Athletics veterans walk around the clubhouse wearing “Nick Kurtz goes yard” T-shirts, and they know what he means for the franchise’s future.
Kurtz, who recently had one of the greatest individual performances in big-league history, is the odds-on favorite to be AL Rookie of the Year. He’s hardly the only talented youngster giving A’s fans — wherever they might be — reason to feel optimistic about the team’s on-field direction.
The A’s are in transition in more ways than one. Most notably, the club is playing the first of what’s expected to be three seasons in Sacramento — a temporary, minor league home for the former Oakland franchise until a new stadium is scheduled to be ready in Las Vegas for 2028.
The roster is shaping up to be a dynamic and competitive one when they arrive. Kurtz is the headliner, but teammate Jacob Wilson was the second favorite for top rookie before going on the injured list with a broken left forearm. Lawrence Butler, an electric outfield defender with pop and speed, also looks like a centerpiece for the type of team the A’s want to take to Las Vegas.
The club added 18-year-old shortstop Leo De Vries as part of a multiplayer trade with San Diego that sent out closer Mason Miller and his 101-mph fastball. MLB.com rates De Vries as as baseball’s No. 3 prospect.
Also on the roster — and under contract through at least 2028 — is All-Star designated hitter Brent Rooker. Kurtz, Wilson and catcher Shea Langeliers are among the starters who could be under team control with the planned moved to Las Vegas. That core isn’t translating into wins yet — the team is 49-65 this season, worst in the AL West — largely because the team’s pitching lags behind.
“We certainly want to win in present day and ‘26 and ’27 are important to us, but a lot of our internal conversations are about what the team will look like in 2028 when we get to Las Vegas,” A’s general manager David Forst said. “You can see it some of the contracts we signed, starting obviously with the manager (Mark Kotsay), but also with Rooker and Lawrence, making sure that two of our key guys are locked up into our time in Vegas.”
Whether management keeps the team together is a question. The A’s have a history of trading young players on the verge of landing lucrative contracts and keeping their payroll among the lowest in baseball.
Maybe that changes with the anticipated move to Las Vegas, given owner John Fisher might want to bring a competitive team to the market. The A’s, in fact, opened up the wallet this year and signed Rooker to a five-year, $60 million contract and a seven-year, $65.5 million deal with Butler.
“I feel like we’re headed in the right direction,” Butler said. “We’ve got a lot of young players. When a team calls up young players, they might not be ready, but I feel like all our guys are ready. They’ve shown that they can compete at this level.”
Butler, 25, is part of a clubhouse filled with promising 20-somethings.
“In this locker room, I am kind of the old man,” the 30-year-old Rooker said. “I don’t know if I take them under my wing. These guys are better players than I am. They don’t need the help.”
Kurtz and Wilson were battling it out for the AL’s top first-year player award, and maybe that competition will continue if and when Wilson — the first fan-elected rookie shortstop to the All-Star Game — returns to the lineup.
Kurtz has done his best to make it a one-man race. He became the first rookie to hit four home runs in a game and tied the major-league record with 19 total bases by going 6 for 6 with eight RBIs on July 25 at Houston.
That performance gave Kurtz consecutive AL player of the week honors. He led the majors in multiple categories in July, including batting average (.395), on-base percentage (.480) and slugging percentage (.953). The 22-year-old already has shown a knack for delivering in key moments with seven game-winning RBIs and five go-ahead homers.
“It’s the moment you dream about as a kid,” Kurtz said. “You’re in a spot where you can end the game with a walk-off or take the lead. Baseball’s so hard. You’re supposed to get out. I come through here, it’s freakin’ awesome. I think I just aim to be calm and I trust my process.”
Kotsay said before the trade deadline that for all the young hitting talent, the A’s could use help with their pitching.
The A’s then added three pitching prospects in the Miller trade and another in right-hander Kenya Huggins when Miguel Andujar was sent to Cincinnati. They have 25-year-old Jack Perkins, called up Luis Morales and have Gage Jump in their minor-league system. The A’s also selected Florida State left-hander Jamie Arnold 11th overall in this year’s draft.
“Where we’ve struggled this year is pitching, both rotation and bullpen,” Forst said. “When we’ve had success on the mound, that’s when we’ve put some good little stretches together.”
Outside of a horrendous stint when the A’s lost 20 of 21 games, they have been largely competitive. That includes a current run of seven wins in 10 games.
“In terms of our vision, in terms of putting a group together that we can win with, I think that talent especially on the players position side is just showing itself,” Kotsay said recently. "(They are) continuing to make improvements and continuing to show what our priorities are, which is playing the game at an elite level and becoming a team that goes out and competes every night.”
The A’s signed Kotsay to an extension in February that takes him through 2028 with an option for 2029. He has had to navigate a club that experienced the fan anger in Oakland toward management for its impending move and now playing in Sacramento.
“I think (Kotsay’s) got one of the tougher jobs in baseball right now in the sense of trying to get the buy-in from the players,” Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “There’s so much uncertainty with the ballpark and where they’re going to be. I think he’s done a fantastic job. He’s a lifelong A, so he understands the culture of the organization. ... He’s the perfect guy for that organization.”
Guardians at Mets prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 4
Its Monday, August 4 and the Guardians (56-55) are in Queens to open a series against the Mets (63-49).
Slade Cecconi is slated to take the mound for Cleveland against Sean Manaea for New York.
The Mets lost a series at home over the weekend to San Francisco. Rafael Devers and the Giants ripped Frankie Montas and New York Sunday afternoon, 12-4.
The Guardians lost to Minnesota yesterday, 5-4 but did take two of three against the Twins over the weekend.
Lets dive into today's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Guardians at Mets
- Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
- Time: 7:10PM EST
- Site: Citi Field
- City: Queens, NY
- Network/Streaming: CLEG, SNY
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Guardians at the Mets
The latest odds as of Monday:
- Moneyline: Guardians (+148), Mets (-179)
- Spread: Mets -1.5
- Total: 8.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Guardians at Mets
- Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: Slade Cecconi vs. Sean Manaea
- Guardians: Slade Cecconi (5-4, 3.77 ERA)
Last outing: July 28 vs. Colorado - 3.86 ERA, 3 Earned Runs Allowed, 6 Hits Allowed, 2 Walks, and 3 Strikeouts - Mets: Sean Manaea (1-1, 2.08 ERA)
Last outing: July 29 at San Diego - 1.80 ERA, 1 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 0 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
- Guardians: Slade Cecconi (5-4, 3.77 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Guardians at Mets
- The Mets have won 4 of their last 5 home games against American League teams
- Sean Manaea has allowed one run in each of his 4 starts since returning from the disabled list
- Francisco Lindor is enjoying a modest 3-game hitting streak (5-11)
- The Guardians have covered the Run Line in 3 straight road games against the Mets
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Guardians and the Mets
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Guardians and the Mets:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the New York Mets on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Cleveland Guardians at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 8.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
How I Became a Rangers "Insider" And Got My First Scoop
Nowadays there are hockey people who make good bucks by essentially doing virtually nothing and they are called "insiders." (The Maven can think of better things to call them; but not now.)
The trick for these "insiders" is to know almost everything before almost anyone else and then tell everyone else that Manny Cotman will be traded whenever. Stuff like that and if you like stuffing, tune in to Ellotte (Spelled Right) Friedman.
This 54-year Toronto lad is "The Insider's Insider" and if he can't tell you when Connor McDavid will re-sign with the Oilers, nobody can; with the possible exception of Mrs. Lauren Kyle McDavid, and she's not talking.
Because Friedman is so good at what he does, you have to figure that at least 2,315 NHL pipelines are directly connected to his itsy-bitsy cellphone.
But I got news for you and Sir Friedman: The Maven was 60 years ahead of Elliotte; and that goes for Kevin Weekes, Darren Dreger and any other of the "current" insiders.
In 1965 I was Rangers beat writer for the New York Journal-American, Hearst's flagship evening broadsheet, having followed award-winning Dave Anderson into that role.
During those glorious NHL Original Six years, the expression "insider" didn't exist, except that my sports editor Max Kase did run an appetizing gossip column called "Briefkase, so that must have made him the first of the species.
As for The Maven, my job was to write up Rangers games, pre-game stuff and trades when they were announced. I didn't think much of getting a scoop or beat as we called them until I met an American Hockey League writer named Charlie Barton.
Charlie was a bachelor from St. Catherines, Ontario and – before NHL expansion – covered the AHL Buffalo Bisons for the Buffalo Courier-Express. The other important things to know about Charlie is that he was Jewish and desperately wanted to find and marry a nice Jewish girl.
One day, Charlie said, "Stan, maybe you can help me." And I did. I fixed him up with
Sheila from Brooklyn and he liked Sheila but the duet didn't last long. So, I tried Natalie and Susan and, again, it didn't work out.
As it happened, in addition to covering the AHL Bisons, Charlie was tuned into the NHL better than anyone and one day he phoned me. "You tried hard to find me a wife," he said, "and I owe you one."
Then, a pause: "I got a hot tip that the Rangers are going to get this very good Providence goalie, Ed Giacomin, in a big trade. I can't use it but you can; and it's guaranteed. It's gonna happen. Run with it."
Dilemma. BIG dilemma. I never had a scoop before and I didn't know if i could trust Charlie, but he assured me ten times over that it would happen so I gambled and the J-A ran the story big while The Maven held his breath.
The Night A Blueshirt Fan Got Clobbered By A Bruin With The Fan's Own ShoeWhen King Of The Hockey Photographers Bruce Bennett brings his lens to The Garden next season, guaranteed that he'll produce some of the best hockey action on film you'll ever see.
Sure enough, the next day the Rangers announced the Giacomin deal and I had my first Rangers beat.
Of course, Blueshirts GM Emile Francis was fit to be tied and couldn't figure out how I got the scoop. Meanwhile, Charlie Barton was still single and needed more dates so I matched him with Jane, Barbara and Muriel. Still, nothing clicked but at least I was trying.
Meanwhile, Charlie fed me at least three more legit beats even after the Sabres were welcomed to the NHL fraternity. "Practically everybody in pro hockey knew Charlie," said Windsor Star columnist Jack Dulmage.
Though assailed by cancer, Charlie stayed on the Sabres beat even filling out the NHL All-Star battle a few weeks before he died. He remained a bachelor living with his Mom in St. Catherines so in that case I failed him.
But looking backward, it was Charlie Barton who really was the first pro hockey insider. The Maven was merely the recipient and I never stopped thanking him for it!
Alex Nylander Returns To Maple Leafs Organization, Signing One-Year AHL Deal With Marlies
Alex Nylander is returning to Toronto for another season.
The 27-year-old, along with Brandon Baddock and Luke Grainger, signed one-year AHL contracts with the Toronto Marlies on Monday. All three players spent parts or most of last season in the AHL, with Baddock and Nylander finishing the season with Toronto.
Nylander is coming off a 44-point campaign in 64 games with the Marlies last year. The right-shot forward originally joined Toronto on an AHL deal, before upgrading to an NHL contract with the Maple Leafs on November 22 after several injuries to the NHL squad.
The same thing could occur again next season if Toronto deals with numerous injuries at some point during the year.
'They're Trying To Move Money Around': Maple Leafs Reportedly Haven't Closed Door On Signing UFA Jack RoslovicThe Toronto Maple Leafs were reportedly interested in unrestricted free agent Jack Roslovic earlier this summer, and it appears the lure may not have gone away.
Nylander ended up playing five games with the Maple Leafs and didn’t register a point, spending most of his time in the team’s bottom-six. He finished second on the Marlies in points, only behind Alex Steeves, who scored 62 points (36 goals and 26 assists) in 59 games.
Alex’s brother, William, who led the Maple Leafs in goals last season, was recently named Sweden’s top hockey player in 2025. Their father, Michael, who played 15 seasons in the NHL, presented the honor, known as the GuldPucken, to William last week.
William Nylander's Father, Michael, Surprises Maple Leafs' Forward With Sweden's Top Hockey HonorToronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander has been named Sweden’s top hockey player of the year.
Alex was drafted eighth overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2016 NHL Draft and has since played 126 games in the NHL, scoring 25 goals and 24 assists in that span. He’s appeared in NHL games with the Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Maple Leafs.
Baddock scored one goal in seven games with the Marlies last season after joining the club via trade by the Rockford IceHogs in mid-March. The 30-year-old scored eight points in 45 AHL games last season. A sixth-round (161st overall) pick by the New Jersey Devils in 2014, Baddock has appeared in 431 career AHL games, scoring 25 goals and 38 assists.
'Nobody Expects Them Not To Do Things Before Puck Drops': Could Maple Leafs Still Move Nick Robertson After Contract Signing?Although the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nick Robertson settled on a one-year, $1.825 million contract on Saturday, could the young forward still be on his way out?
Grainger played seven games with the San Jose Barracuda, the AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, last season. The 25-year-old spent most of last season with the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, scoring nine goals and 12 assists. Before turning pro, Grainger spent four seasons at Western Michigan University, where he tallied 103 points (38 goals, 165 assists) in 140 games
The Montreal, Quebec-born forward was also a Hober Baker nominee during the 2023-24 season.
This article originally appeared on The Hockey News: Alex Nylander Returns To Maple Leafs Organization, Signing One-Year AHL Deal With Marlies
(Top photo of Nylander: Charles LeClaire / Imagn Images)
F1 2025: end-of-term report card as drivers head for their summer break
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris have set up a potentially thrilling title race, Gabriel Bortoleto is one to watch, and Lewis Hamilton needs time off
Oscar Piastri Leading the world championship and has earned his place at the top. He has not only been quick in the best car on the grid, but consistent and calm. This has not been the stuff of fireworks, but relentless precision. His execution and attitude have no little of the Alain Prost about them and he is shaping up to be a similarly formidable opponent as The Professor.
Continue reading...Orioles at Phillies prediction: Odds, expert picks, starting pitchers, betting trends, and stats for August 4
Its Monday, August 4 and the Orioles (51-61) are in Philadelphia to begin a series against the Phillies (63-48).
Cade Povich is slated to take the mound for Baltimore against Jesús Luzardo for Philadelphia.
The Phillies took two of three over the weekend against the American League Central-leading Detroit Tigers. Last night they won, 2-0, thanks in large part to Kyle Schwarber's 38th home run and eight innings of five-hit ball from Cristopher Sanchez.
Baltimore lost two of three over the weekend to the Cubs at Wrigley Field. Chicago won 5-3 Sunday afternoon. Justin Turner went yard in the bottom of the ninth against Keegan Akin to provide the difference.
Lets dive into tonight's matchup and find a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Orioles at Phillies
- Date: Monday, August 4, 2025
- Time: 6:45PM EST
- Site: Citizens Bank Park
- City: Philadelphia, PA
- Network/Streaming: MASN, NBCSP
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Orioles at the Phillies
The latest odds as of Monday:
- Moneyline: Orioles (+176), Phillies (-210)
- Spread: Phillies -1.5
- Total: 9.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Orioles at Phillies
- Pitching matchup for August 4, 2025: Cade Povich vs. Jesús Luzardo
- Orioles: Cade Povich (2-5, 5.15 ERA)
Last outing: June 15 vs. Angels - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 3 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts - Phillies: Jesús Luzardo (9-5, 4.31 ERA)
Last outing: July 29 at White Sox - 0.00 ERA, 0 Earned Runs Allowed, 2 Hits Allowed, 1 Walks, and 4 Strikeouts
- Orioles: Cade Povich (2-5, 5.15 ERA)
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Orioles at Phillies
- The Phillies have won 4 of their last 5 home games against the Orioles
- In the Orioles' last 5 road games the Under is 4-0-1
- The Orioles have covered in 4 of their last 5 on the road, profiting 1.57 units
- Kyle Schwarber was 3-11 against Detroit over the weekend
- Nick Castellanos has hit safely in 4 straight games (5-14)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Orioles and the Phillies
Rotoworld Best Bet
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Monday's game between the Orioles and the Phillies:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Philadelphia Phillies on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Baltimore Orioles at +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the under on the Game Total of 9.0.
Want even more MLB best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert MLB Predictions page from NBC
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
- Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
- Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
- Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)