PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 14: Foster Griffin #22 of the Washington Nationals pitches during the 96th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
While CJ Abrams, James Wood and the rest of the National League hitters could not get anything going last night, we did get to see Foster Griffin at his best. The Nats southpaw threw a 1-2-3 inning with two strikeouts to continue his magical season. Baseball fans got a taste of what Nats fans have seen all year long out of the lefty.
Griffin came in for the 5th inning, and made quick work of three of the AL’s most underrated hitters. The first batter he faced was Yandy Diaz, who he struck out on three pitches. Diaz strikes out under 14% of the time, so it is no easy task to mow him down on three pitches. After that he struck out Dillon Dingler on a changeup, the same pitch he put Diaz away with.
The last hitter of the inning was Miguel Vargas who drove a ball in the gap, but the speedy Andy Pages tracked it down to finish the inning. It was classic Griffin, with the lefty showing off four of his seven pitches. As usual, he featured his cutter the most, but it was his changeup that finished guys off.
Interestingly, he did not throw a single fastball. With the best hitters in the world at the dish, I wonder if Griffin wanted to stay away from the heater, which is far from his best offering. Eight of his 10 pitches were either cutters or changeups. He also threw one sweeper and one curve.
I found it amusing that the Phillies fans booed Griffin when he was introduced at the All-Star Game. He has had a pair of stellar outings against the Phillies, so I get why they were booing him. The idea of a fanbase booing Foster Griffin at an All-Star game would have seemed unfathomable a few months ago.
“Foster Griffin was booed upon being introduced at the All-Star Game” is not a sentence I expected to write a few months ago.
It is just another chapter in a truly incredible story. Before going to Japan, Griffin was a first round bust who had only pitched a few games at the MLB level. However, when he went to Japan, Griffin went with an open mind and learned how to pitch. I remember one interview he did, where he said if you are to get the best out of your experience in Japan, you can’t just think about going back to the big leagues at the first opportunity.
Instead of using Japan purely as a one year stop to try and get back to the big leagues as soon as possible, he embraced the baseball culture. Griffin spent three years over there and added a number of different pitches, including a splitter, which is pretty much Japan’s national pitch.
Griffin kept getting better and better, before deciding the time was right to test himself again. Despite the great numbers in Japan, he only got a 1-year $5.5 million deal. Teams looked at the 91 MPH fastball and wrote him off. However, the Nats gave him a shot to be a starter and he has rewarded them with All-Star caliber production.
As Foster Griffin walked off the mound at Citizens Bank Park, it was the culmination of many years of hard work and experimentation. He reinvented himself as a pitcher by taking a risk and going to the other side of the world. That is pretty cool if you ask me.
Foster Griffin just threw a perfect inning with 2 strikeouts at the All-Star Game. What a story he is. pic.twitter.com/8KCz0kJ1VI
With the trade deadline looming, we might not see many more Foster Griffin starts in a Nationals uniform. He will be a free agent after the season, and with the bullpen meltdowns pulling the Nats further from the playoff race, it might be time to sell high.
The Nats have traded a lot of rentals over the past few years, but Griffin would be the toughest for me emotionally. He has become my favorite Nats pitcher since Max Scherzer left. I just love his thinking man’s approach to pitching and how he can dominate without much velocity.
Despite not having a ton of velocity, I actually do think Griffin has good stuff, even if it is not elite. He has a ton of movement on his sweeper, his changeup has a lot of fade, his cutter is pinpoint and his curve is a weapon. Throwing hard helps you have good stuff, but it is not the only way.
Even if Griffin is traded, I would love to bring him back in the offseason. This is exactly the kind of pitcher you want to have as a number three starter. He has been performing more like a high end two this year though. Foster Griffin is the ultimate crafty lefty, and he showed the baseball world what he could do last night.
The Warriors knew Yaxel Lendeborg would be an immediate contributor when they selected him No. 11 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, and the rookie forward already is proving them correct on the NBA Summer League court.
As shared by Logan Adams on X, Lendeborg leads all NBA rookies this summer with a 15.9 BPM, or Box Plus/Minus, which estimates a basketball player’s contribution to the team when that player is on the court based only on the information in the traditional basketball box score — no play-by-play data or non-traditional box score data is included, per Basketball Reference.
The best rookies in Summer League by BPM:
1. Yaxel Lendeborg (15.9) 2. Darryn Peterson (7.3) 3. Graham Ike (7.2) 4. Cameron Boozer (6.2) 5. Kingston Flemings (5.4)
Yaxel Lendeborg has the highest recorded Summer League BPM of all time thus far.
Not only is Lendeborg’s BPM the highest this summer, but the highest summer league BPM of all time, per Adams.
To put the Warriors rookie’s mark of 15.9 into perspective, a 0.0 BPM is considered league average. A 2.0 BPM is a good starter, 4.0 is NBA All-Star caliber, 6.0 is All-NBA, 8.0 would be an MVP-level season and 10.0 is an all-time campaign. In the words of Basketball Reference, “think peak [Michael] Jordan or LeBron [James].”
In five summer league games, Lendeborg is averaging 16.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. His versatility as a scorer and defender makes him a perfect match for a Warriors team that has no time to waste, general manager Mike Dunleavy explained to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin during Golden State’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday in Las Vegas.
“I think he seems like a seamless fit in how you can play, both offensively and defensively,” Dunleavy told McMenamin. “He is playing with our summer league team right now, but as we transition with the veteran team, we think he’ll be able to fit right in and contribute. Having a guy of his stature, experience level, size — all of that stuff is going to bode well for us.”
Caught up with Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy on Steph Curry, Steve Kerr, Yaxel Lendeborg and any other outstanding business yet to be completed this summer … pic.twitter.com/RPwt4CD9iU
The 2026 Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes will raise their championship banner to usher in the start of the 2026-27 season.
Per the NHL, the Hurricanes are the first game slated for the new season, when they host the Florida Panthers on Sept. 29 at Lenovo Center with puck drop set for 5 p.m.
On that same night, they'll raise the banner recognizing them as the 2026 Stanley Cup Champions as well.
The NHL released the home openers for all 32 teams on Wednesday and the Hurricanes will be one of five games set for Sept. 29.
ESPN will air all three games as part of a triple header with Carolina/Florida being followed by New York Rangers @ Boston Bruins at 8 p.m. and Chicago Blackhawks @ Vegas Golden Knights at 10:30 p.m.
There will also be a pair of Canadian games, with the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs going head-to-head, followed by the Vancouver Canucks and Edmonton Oilers.
The NHL will release the full 2026-27 schedule tomorrow (Thursday, July 16).
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The Golden Knights will be part of an opening-night tripleheader broadcast on ESPN in the U.S., when they open the season against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sept. 29.
The start date is the earliest Vegas will have started since joining the league in 2017. The Knights have never opened their season earlier than Oct. 2.
Last season, they opened the regular season on Oct. 8, with a shootout loss to the Los Angeles Kings.
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) July 15, 2026
The early start date means less time to prepare under first-year coach Ryan Craig, especially after losing in six games to the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final.
The last game of the Cup final was on June 14, which means the Knights will have had 107 days off in between. Perspective: the Blackhawks' season ended on April 15, which means they'll have had 167 days off in between.
"I think, like in previous years, when you lose in the finals; you get all the way, it sucks, for sure," veteran defenseman Shea Theodore said. "It's gonna be a quick summer, it's gonna be a quick turnaround, and we need to get our rest, we need to get guys healthy and ready to go."
Entering its milestone 10th season in the NHL, the Golden Knights are 7-1-1 in regular-season openers. They also boast a 5-1-1 mark when opening the regular season at home.
The Knights are 17-3-4 all-time against the Blackhawks, including a 10-2-1 mark when hosting them in Vegas.
PHOTO CAPTION
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight (30) makes a save against Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) during the second period at T-Mobile Arena.
The NHL Public Relations is announcing each NHL team's home opener for the 2026-27 NHL season. With the season now expanded to 84 games, two more divisional games were added per team.
This season, the Colorado Avalanche will open the season against the Los Angeles Kings at home on September 30.
The @NHL announced today the 2026-27 regular season, expanded to 84 games with the addition of two more divisional contests per team, will open on Tuesday, Sept. 29. In addition, the League announced each team’s home opener.
The 2026-27 season will officially start on September 29, with the Boston Bruins facing the New York Rangers, the Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes against the Florida Panthers, the Edmonton Oilers facing the Vancouver Canucks, the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Montreal Canadiens, and the night ending with the Las Vegas Golden Knights facing the Chicago Blackhawks.
Following the success of the league's return to best-on-best international hockey, the marquee event will build on that momentum with a three-on-three tournament.
The event will feature five teams of nations, including the United States, Canada, Sweden, and Finland. The fifth team will be comprised of players from the rest of the world. This comes after the league's return to the Olympics this past February and the Four Nations Faceoff last season.
The format of the event will remain similar to previous years. The weekend begins on Friday, Feb. 5, with the return of NHL All-Star Skills, which will highlight the league's young stars. Ten players aged 25 or under will compete in events including fastest skater, hardest shot, stick handling, one-timers, passing, and accuracy shooting.
Players will earn points on placement in each event, with the top four advancing into a shootout against one of four goalies participating in the event. The top two players in the shootout will advance to a final obstacle course to decide the winner.
The game itself will take place on Saturday, Feb. 6, with 11-player rosters that will be mostly decided by fan vote. The NHL Players' Association will pick one forward, defenseman, and goalie for each team after fan voting concludes. After a round robin tournament, the top two teams will advance to a 10-minute championship game.
Next season marks the second time the Islanders will host the All-Star Game and first time since 1983. Fans can sign up for more information on the event at the league's website.
The Chicago Blackhawks and National Hockey League announced their home opener schedule for all 32 teams on Wednesday.
The Hawks will start their season on the road, beginning against the Vegas Golden Knights on September 29th at 9:30 PM CT. They will also see the Utah Mammoth (Oct. 1) and Buffalo Sabres (Oct. 3) on this trip.
On October 6th, the Blackhawks will return to the United Center, where they will host the St. Louis Blues.
Chicago will participate in four home openers, including their own. The one against the Vegas Golden Knights on September 29th will be a part of a tripleheader on ESPN as the nightcap.
The NHL is officially an 84-game league, and now every team knows who they will be facing to open the home portion of that expanded schedule.
The rest of the schedule will be released on Thursday at 12PM CT.
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After two weeks on the free agent market, former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Anthony Mantha has found his new home.
Mantha has signed a two-year, $9.5 million ($4.45 million AAV) contract with the New Jersey Devils. With this, the 6-foot-5 forward has joined one of the Penguins' division rivals.
It was surprising to see Mantha last as long as he did on the free agent market. He was one of this year's best free agent forwards after his career year with the Penguins. In 81 games with the Penguins on a one-year prove-it deal in 2025-26, he set career highs with 33 goals, 31 assists, and 64 points.
While Mantha's time with the Penguins only lasted one year, there is no question that he was a great value signing for them. Even if he struggled during the playoffs, his excellent play during the regular-season was one of the many reasons why Pittsburgh made the playoffs last year.
Now, Mantha will be looking to continue to have success, but now as a member of the Devils. If he replicates his 2025-26 form with New Jersey, he will end up being a very good signing for them.
The Islanders weren't listed as the opponent for any one of the other 31 NHL teams, so it's possible that their home opener against the Devils is also their season-opening game.
The 2026-27 season will be 84 games, with the full schedule to be released at 1 PM ET on Thursday.
The Islanders opened the 2025-26 season on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 11: Kris Letang #58 and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins take the ice for warmups prior to the game against the New York Rangers at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 11, 2025 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The NHL announced the first games for teams in the 2026-27 season, full schedule to follow tomorrow.
The Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves with a marquee opening matchup, they’ll start the year in Philadelphia on Wednesday September 30th for a rematch of last spring’s first round playoff series in a nationally televised game on TNT. The Pens will hold their home opener a few days later on Saturday October 3rd back in Pittsburgh against the Montreal Canadiens.
The above also announces that Pittsburgh will be on the road to be a part of Washington’s home opener on October 7th.
This NHL season starts earlier than most in recent memory, the league has shortened the preseason and added two more regular season games to boost the schedule to 84 games for the first time since 1994. The additional games allows each team to play all members of their division four times – in past seasons under and 82 game schedule there was a rotation of playing two rivals only three times.
Key dates for signature events have also been announced. The Pens won’t be participating in any international or outdoor games this season, after going to Sweden last year.
October 25, 2026: 2026 Heritage Classic (Winnipeg Jets vs. Montreal Canadiens at Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg) November 12 & 14, 2026: NHL Global Series Helsinki (Seattle Kraken vs. Carolina Hurricanes at Veikkaus Arena, Finland) December 18 & 20, 2026: NHL Global Series Düsseldorf (Chicago Blackhawks vs. Ottawa Senators at PSD Bank Dome, Germany) December 31, 2026: 2027 NHL Winter Classic (Utah Mammoth vs. Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City) February 7, 2027: 2027 NHL All-Star Game (UBS Arena at Elmont, NY) February 20, 2027: 2027 NHL Stadium Series (Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX)
With the season starting earlier and no condensed scheduling needed to account for an Olympic stoppage, teams should be in-line for lengthy breaks during the year and avoid situations like last year when the Pens played 17 games in the month of March. We’ll see those splits and the full schedule upon tomorrow’s release.
Mar 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Gavin Brindley (54) looks on during a face-off against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Recently in a series of press conferences, Colorado Avalanche GM Joe Sakic set up his offseason message to the fanbase and managed expectations about heading into the 2026-27 season with a worse roster on paper. The salary cap was blamed, naturally, but this year’s buzz words given in an attempt to soothe any worries were centered around an incoming youth movement to fill the gaps.
“If we’ve got to start out with some kids this year to see what they got, what they can do, we’re perfectly happy with that as well.” — Joe Sakic
The youth movement concept is great in theory. A rapidly aging roster is in need of an infusion of new faces, competitive energy and cheap contracts which will outperform their cost. Colorado would benefit from some younger players under their control in the short term even if they are starting with a group of kids that are closer to unrestricted free agency than drafted prospects would be. The Avalanche have also been missing the spark young players can provide plus the possible benefit of untapped upside.
Who are the possibilities?
Joe Sakic mentioned these guys as young players the organization is looking to help fill the gaps at the NHL level to start the year:
Gavin Brindley Taylor Makar TJ Hughes Matt DiMarsico Fedor Svechkov Zach L’Heureux
It is interesting the youths Sakic mentions as having a chance to fill their roster holes at forward are all new to the organization which contain three players (Fedor Svechkov, Zach L’Heureux and Gavin Brindley) they acquired via trade within the last year (four if we include recently signed Fabian Lysell who is also in the mix), two recent college free agent signings (TJ Hughes and Matt DiMarsico) and one with obvious familial connections (Taylor Makar). The Avalanche have an uncanny ability to cycle through their options every two years, which is why last year’s crop of budding NHL forwards need not apply to the current opportunity at hand. Those who previously saw NHL action with the Avalanche include Ivan Ivan, Zakhar Bardakov, Chase Bradley, Jason Polin and Matt Stienburg, who all were not retained and signed elsewhere this summer.
Those departures make sense as a player gets two years at most to hold the organization’s attention before their window of opportunity shuts, which is why a bunch of new options were needed for the next season’s experiment. Taylor Makar could be an exception if he makes the jump to the NHL permanently because he was drafted in 2021, though has only played one year of pro hockey so far. Since the Joe Sakic management era began in 2013 there hasn’t been an acquired player who was property of the organization longer than two years that developed internally and then went on to complete a full NHL season in Colorado. It is understood that the NHL is unforgiving and moves at a rapid pace but that timeline is a tough ask for development, especially in draft picks.
What does giving opportunity really mean?
This decade Logan O’Connor is the only developed forward who broke through to the Avalanche roster and the last of such graduation up front from the system since Mikko Rantanen in 2016. After signing as an undrafted college free agent his first year of pro hockey, O’Connor got the typical cup of coffee the Avalanche consider opportunity with the five game call-up treatment in early 2019 where he averaged less than six minutes time on ice. Then in his second season he played 16 games, scored two points and upped his average to over eight minutes a game. Usually at that point justifications that he didn’t make enough impact in those 21 games would crop up but in year three O’Connor saw his waiver exemption expire and the Avalanche chose to keep him full-time in the pandemic shortened year of 2020-21. That season a 22 game, five point campaign where he averaged near 11 minutes a game got O’Connor a three-year contract extension and the rest is history as the Avalanche were then committed and the right winger had solidified his place on the team.
If O’Connor represents a repeatable path to the Avalanche, at some point a commitment is required and none of the youth options cycled through the team in 2025-26 stuck when it came to staying in the lineup. Gavin Brindley offered a glimmer of hope in his 54 NHL games and saw the most time on ice given by Jared Bednar to a developing player at an average of 9:33 per game but he was then sent to the minors after the trade deadline passed. All other experiments barely eclipsed seven minutes per game including those with a half a season or more of NHL experience such as Ivan Ivan and Zakhar Bardakov.
In Nashville, both Fedor Svechkov and Zach L’Heureux averaged over 12 minutes of ice time in each of their NHL seasons, which sets up the expectation that if Colorado wants these two, or any of their other youth movement options, to continue growing their games in this new opportunity then that’s the level of usage they need to be seeing at minimum. This also means no exclusive fourth line roles, especially multiple young players put together and then marginalized together as the bench gets shortened after the first period of games.
What’s on the horizon?
Unless there are surprise injuries when training camp rolls around in September or Colorado signs another veteran by then, currently it stands that two forward positions on the fourth line are open for these young guns to grab. Waiver exemption can’t save everyone this time, however, as it means several of mentioned above inexperienced options are going to get cut from the opening night lineup. With the exception of Brindley, DiMarsico and Hughes all others need to pass through waivers if they are sent down to the Colorado Eagles. The two-year pacts and one-way price tag in the second years for Svechkov, L’Heureux and Makar act as basically waivers insurance as another team is unlikely to pick up the financial commitment on those contracts. Still, the Avalanche likely want to satisfy the optics for players they just acquired will be given the first chance to play in the NHL. Brindley and his aforementioned 54 games of experience with the Avalanche last season should have the inside track in the competition for an open roster spot but as the youngest at 21-years-old, is still waivers exempt and was recently demoted adds up to he’s the easiest to pass over.
Sakic already threw out the idea that the roster isn’t set because Colorado can just accrue cap space for the trade deadline and get in new players at a later time. Admitting it out loud before the youth movement process has even begun feels like a halfhearted attempt when a full organizational buy-in and commitment is required for the monumental task of getting a developing player across to the Avalanche finish line. The expectation always is for playoff teams to made additions to strengthen their roster at the trade deadline. But it should be just that: adding, not replacing.
🗣️ Joe Sakic
"We wanted to give ourselves some flexibility. You don't win on July 1st. We learned that along time ago. We want the ability to add a player at the deadline for whatever type of player we feel we need at that point"#GoAvsGo | Powered by @RefiJetpic.twitter.com/5jaqL8S1a8
A major change was announced on Wednesday for the Detroit Red Wings, as Steve Yzerman, who had been in place as general manager since April 2019, officially transitioned his role to senior advisor to Governor and CEO Chris Ilitch.
Yzerman was tasked with taking over a franchise faced with a long, difficult rebuilding process. And while there were several positives during that stretch, including the selections of Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond in the NHL Draft, the Red Wings missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in all seven seasons he oversaw.
Ilitch acknowledged that the Red Wings, who now own the NHL's longest active postseason drought in the NHL, aren't where they expect to be as an organization that once set the modern standard of excellence and consistent contention.
“Clearly, we are not where we and our fans expect to be as an organization,” said Ilitch. “I’m looking forward to bringing in new leadership to build the championship-caliber organization Hockeytown deserves.”
During Yzerman's tenure, the Red Wings successfully rebuilt a prospect pipeline that was virtually empty when he took over. He also acquired sniper forward Alex DeBrincat via trade and convinced future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane to sign with Detroit.
While last offseason's acquisition of John Gibson proved to be a pivotal move, not every gamble in net paid off. Yzerman previously traded for goaltenders Alex Nedeljkovic and Ville Husso, though neither ultimately delivered the results the organization had hoped for.
Neither did the 2025 re-acquisition of Petr Mrazek; he was later dealt to Anaheim for Gibson.
At the same time, several of Yzerman's decisions drew criticism, including the contracts given to J.T. Compher and Andrew Copp, the trade that sent Jake Walman away, and reports that Detroit passed on an opportunity to acquire former Norris Trophy winner Quinn Hughes.
The Red Wings are also still navigating the fallout from captain Dylan Larkin's public trade request, and it remains to be seen whether the leadership change will have any impact on that situation.
On paper, the partnership between the Red Wings and Steve Yzerman appeared to be a perfect fit. But ultimately, the NHL is a results-oriented business.
Although Detroit made steady progress under Yzerman, it became increasingly difficult to ignore division rivals pulling further ahead, especially as the Red Wings suffered three consecutive late-season collapses in March.
In the end, missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs for seven straight seasons meant that a change was necessary.
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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cubs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Cubs are currently 54-42 and inhabit the NL’s first wild card spot, half a game ahead of the Phillies. The Marlins have, kind of under-the-radar, moved into the third wild card spot, 2.5 games behind the Cubs, two behind the Phillies and a game ahead of the Cardinals.
But the Cubs trail the Brewers in the NL Central by just five games. With 66 games remaining, that does not seem like an insurmountable lead to overcome. The Cubs and Brewers will face each other seven times before the regular season ends, four at Wrigley Field (Aug. 31-Sept. 1-2-3) and three in Milwaukee (Sept. 7-8-9). Playing those seven games within a 10-day span should go a long way to sorting out the division title. The Brewers currently lead the season series four games to two, so the Cubs would have to win five of the seven to take the season series and thus have the tiebreaker.
So where do you think the Cubs will finish the regular season? Winning the NL Central is not just for prestige; it likely would come with a first-round bye into the Division Series round of the postseason.
Vote in the survey and I’ll have the results here later in the week.
Jun 25, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Athletics manager Mark Kotsay (right) watches his team take on the San Francisco Giants during the third inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images | D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
Happy Wednesday A’s fans,
This past weekend, the MLB Draft introduced the stars of tomorrow. One of the most thrilling Home Run Derbies in recent years followed the next day, leading into last night’s “Midsummer Classic,” which showcased many of the game’s brightest stars. Athletics’ catcher Shea Langeliers singled and walked in the American League’s 4-0 victory, which capped off a frantic few days of MLB events in Philadelphia.
With a couple of days off before the A’s resume their season against the Washington Nationals, it is a good time to assess the team’s first-half performance.
Offense
Entering the season, the Athletics offense was expected to carry this team and perform like a top-tier lineup. That has not happened, as the club ranks in the middle-to-lower tier of the league with a .243 team batting average and 422 total runs scored. Additionally, despite playing in a hitter-friendly home ballpark, the A’s have hit the 12th most home runs in the league.
All-Stars Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz were the team’s two-best hitters in the first half, although Langeliers’ production dipped after a stellar first couple of months. Kurtz’s recent slump can be attributed to a thumb injury that landed him on the injured list and kept him out of the All-Star Game.
Versatile utility player Zack Gelof was the biggest surprise. He provided excellent defense at several positions, while putting up offensive numbers on par with his highly-productive rookie season.
Injuries are partially to blame for the offensive struggles, as Gelof, shortstop Jacob Wilson and left fielder Tyler Soderstrom all missed time, not to mention designated hitter Brent Rooker undergoing season-ending knee surgery. However, it is also worth mentioning the lack of consistent production from outfielder Lawrence Butler and veteran second baseman Jeff McNeil this season.
Grade: B-
Pitching
The less said about the team’s pitching, the better. Yesterday, the A’s fired pitching coach Scott Emerson after ending the first half with a 5.21 team ERA that ranks second-to-last in the majors. The team’s highest-paid pitcher Luis Severino has been out since May with a shoulder injury. Free-agent signee Aaron Civale got off to a strong start before getting injured. He has since regressed to the form he displayed over the past couple of seasons.
Breakout right-hander J.T Ginn and the franchise’s top pitching prospect Gage Jump have been the team’s lone bright spots in the rotation. As for the bullpen, free-agent signee Scott Barlow was designated for assignment a few weeks ago after posting a career-worst 6.48 ERA. Right-hander Luis Medina has pitched well in his return from Tommy John surgery as has its lone left-hander Hogan Harris.
Really, it all comes down to the team not assembling a good enough pitching staff or figuring out how to pitch effectively at Sutter Health Park. Other teams have pitched fine there, so why is it that the A’s have struggled so much at this ballpark?
Grade: D
Coaching
For the second consecutive season, the A’s have suffered a devastating losing stretch that they have been unable to stop, with each loss pushing them further behind their divisional rivals. Between that and the pitching continuing to be a serious problem, it is time to seriously consider whether a regime change is the right move to take the Athletics from pretenders to contenders.
With Emerson gone, these next few months will be a litmus test for manager Mark Kotsay’s future. Can he get this team back on track and set the club up for a high-stakes stretch run, or will it be another inconsequential second half for the “Green and Gold”?
Grade: C
What grades would you give the A’s for their first half? Do you think this team has what it takes to turn things around?
Over the past few years, the Athletics have had more success drafting and developing players. Now, the team needs this pool of talent to coalesce into a unit capable of competing for the playoffs.
Georgia Tech reliever Mason Patel is the most noteworthy name among these UDFAs. He was named a finalist for the National Stopper of the Year Award, presented annually to the nation’s top relief pitcher.
The A's have come to terms with 6 undrafted free agents: C Max Aude/Pepperdine 1B James Whitman/Biola 2B Shintaro Inoue/Kansas State IF Xavier Esquer/UC Santa Barbara RHP Colin Fitzgerald/Penn State RHP Mason Patel/Georgia Tech
— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) July 14, 2026
Congrats to Zack Gelof and his fiancée! Wishing them both the best. Seeing the knee brace in this picture is a reminder that his injury may have been more significant than many realized. Here’s hoping he’s back on the field soon—this struggling squad could certainly use him.
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 27: Juan Soto #22, A.J. Ewing #9, and Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field on Saturday, June 27, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Let’s cut right to the chase: The Mets are a bad baseball team. But worse than being bad, they’re borderline unwatchable. Ah, I see I’ve already contradicted the overarching purpose of this article. Apologies, let’s start over.
Yes, the Mets are bad. And yes, the Mets have been teetering on the precipice of completely unwatchable slop for much of the first half, but there have been some bright spots so far in this season. Despite carrying a 0.8% chance of making the postseason according to FanGraphs—remember when they started the year at 86.6%? Pepperidge Farm remembers—there are still plenty of reasons to tune in beyond our overarching love for the sport itself and passing the time with America’s past time.
Even in the worst years, there are typically things to latch on to and keep us engaged—think Jacob deGrom’s Cy Young campaign in 2018, R.A. Dickey’s march towards 20 wins and the Cy Young in 2012, watching David Wright break every offensive record in the book during some bleak years, to name a few examples—and this Mets team has a few interesting story lines heading into the second half, even if making the postseason isn’t one of them. So without further ado, here are the top things for Mets fans to keep an eye on following the All-Star break.
Juan Soto
This one’s a bit of a cop out, but come on. As bad as this season has been, we get to watch one of the most special talents on the planet play baseball night in and night out. Soto has been as advertised since arriving in Queens, even with a slow start to his 15-year tenure with the Mets. Soto finished third in NL MVP voting last year, hitting .263/.395/.525 with a 156 wRC+ and 5.8 fWAR. He hit 43 home runs, stole 38 bases, scored 120 runs, drove in 105, and set a franchise record by walking 127 times. And he was inexplicably left off the All-Star roster. That wrong was righted this year, as the fans voted him into the starting lineup. He enters the break with 21 homers, 44 runs scored, 51 runs batted in, and an even better 163 wRC+ while hitting .290/.405/.562 despite missing time early in the year with an injury.
This positive comes with a tinge of sadness, as the realization of Soto’s greatness also comes with the bitterness of understanding that the team has now wasted two prime seasons. This is now two years where the Mets cannot capitalize on prime Soto, which seems to be their M.O.—how many years of prime David Wright did the team squander? Prime Matt Harvey? Prime Jacob deGrom? Prime Pete Alonso? Prime Francisco Lindor? The list goes on and on and on.
Despite that, adding a player like Soto in free agency felt like an unrealistic dream just a few seasons ago. He plays for the Mets, and that’s worth the price of admission alone most nights. Let’s just hope the team catches up to his talent one day.
The Psychopaths (Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing)
What else is there to latch on to in lost seasons if not the youth? Benge and Ewing have been, aside from Soto, the biggest bright spots in the lineup. Benge grabbed his opportunity right out of spring training, and despite a slow start, he’s established himself as a solid bat with a terrific glove in right field. Meanwhile, Ewing debuted a little bit later than Benge but has been no less impressive. Along with Soto, the team seems to have set up their outfield for the foreseeable future.
The 23-year-old Benge entered the break hitting .263/.326/.402 with a 106 wRC+ and 1.7 fWAR in 94 games. His 11 home runs and his 1.7 fWAR are second to Soto, and he leads the club with 52 runs scored and 15 stolen bases. Then there’s the 21-year-old Ewing, who is hitting .276/.350/.439 with seven homers, 27 runs scored, 24 runs batted in, and nine stolen bases. His 122 wRC+ is second to Soto, and his 1.2 fWAR is third behind Soto and Benge. He’s done all this while playing really strong defense in center. He has also hit well against lefties as of late, showcasing another strength. Both guys have been utilized up and down the lineup, including hitting leadoff and in the middle of the lineup.
When speaking about Benge and Ewing during a broadcast earlier this season, Keith Hernandez referred to them as “two golden nuggets,” which is an apt description of the team’s two youngest talents. Their continued development will be a big talking point, and both could factor in NL Cy Young voting, which would be a nice little win for the team. If nothing else, their emergence represents a bright light in what has been a really dark season.
Scott and McLean and pray for rain
This title is a bit misleading, as this is more about the overall view of the young arms, which goes beyond just these two. All that is to say that, if all goes well, the team will have an entirely new rotation next year that is (hopefully) made up of many of these up-and-comers. Out with the old, in with the new.
Nolan McLean had a terrific debut in 2025 and looked to be the undisputed future ace of the staff, but has been a bit more uneven this year. He’s struggled with his consistency, looking as good as he did in 2025 some times and looking like he needs more seasoning in Triple-A other times. Specifically, his home/road splits are perplexing, as he dominates on the road but struggles at home. Despite that, he’s had a really solid stretch over his past few starts and could be putting his early season struggles behind him.
Then there’s Christian Scott, who missed all of 2025 but has emerged as one of the team’s best pitchers this year. He enters the break with a 3.17 ERA in 12 starts, and the Mets have won nine of his 12 outings this year. He has struggled at times to go deep into games, and after missing all of last year, it’s likely the team will ease off the gas pedal with him to ensure he doesn’t tire himself out, but he seems to have inserted himself into the team’s future rotation plans with authority.
With the team likely to trade at least one (and possibly two or three) starters—more on that later—additional will open up in their rotation. That’s where Zach Thornton and Jonah Tong come in. Thornton struggled in his first start against the Nationals, but he’s been terrific in his last two appearances. His last time out specifically, he hurled seven shutout innings and would have gotten his first career win had Francisco Lindor’s error and Devin Williams’ ineffectiveness not conspired against him. Andy Green seemed to suggest he will make his next start at the major league level, and honestly there’s no reason why he shouldn’t. And should additional spots open up, the team could give Tong another shot, despite his Triple-A struggles. Depending on how they’re feeling about his development, there’s every chance he could be back up to finish out the year in the majors and get more seasoning in the bigs. Lastly, Jack Wenninger also could be in line for a call-up at some point after the break.
The trade deadline and restocking the farm
Probably the biggest story line for the next three weeks or so is how David Stearns and the organization will handle the deadline. Is this sexy? Not in the least. But is it important? Absolutely.
A successful deadline could set the franchise up for an immediate turnaround. The team has made it known that they are open for business, but they seem to be approaching the deadline more as a retool than any sort of rebuild. They are very much building towards being competitive again in 2027, so they can seek major league talent on their returns, or at the very least will look to restock the farm to set themselves up for sustained success. With the farm system ranked 24th after graduating some of their top talent and trading some other talent, it’ll be a welcome sight to see an influx of talent (and they could look to flip the players for major league talent later on).
There are no sure things in life, but I’d venture a guess as to say Freddy Peralta, A.J. Minter, and Brooks Raley will not be wearing a Mets uniform after August 3. If the club cannot work out an extension with Clay Holmes, who is almost sure to opt out after year’s end, they could look to deal him as well, and he could be one of their biggest chips. The team will also listen to basically everyone aside from the players listed above (Soto, Ewing, Benge, Scott, McLean, and Thornton), so any number of guys could be moved. That includes younger players like Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio, and Francisco Alvarez, and other vets like Bo Bichette, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and Luis Robert Jr.
And then there is Francisco Lindor, who figures to be one of the more intriguing trade options. While the Mets have not actively talked about shopping him, there have been rumblings about whether they would consider it, to the point that he was recently asked whether he would consider waiving his no trade (he replied “no comment” to the reporter’s inquiry). Lindor missed significant time due to injury this year, which has kept his numbers very modest compared to his career norms, but it still feels premature for the club to move on from their star shortstop or actively argue that he is in the twilight of his career. A good Mets team in 2027 almost definitely features both Soto and Lindor performing well in tandem alongside the team’s young outfielders and pitchers. Still, Stearns and the organization will likely leave no stone un-turned at the deadline, so if a tantalizing offer is presented, they will certainly consider it.
The Mets kick off their second half schedule on Thursday night as they travel to Philadelphia to face the Phillies at 7:10 PM EDT.
