NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 09: Dustin May #3 of the St. Louis Cardinals throws a pitch during the first inning of the game against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 09, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The St. Louis Cardinals will return to Kauffman Stadium Sunday after a day off thanks to World Cup activities in Kansas City. The Cardinals will ask Dustin May to be the best version of Dustin May as he gets the start Sunday afternoon. He’ll be up against RHP Stephen Kolek who’s 4-1 on the season for the Royals. First pitch scheduled for 1:10pm central time and the game broadcast will be available on Cardinals.tv.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - JUNE 20: Mason Miller #22 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the tenth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on June 20, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
San Diego Padres (39-36) at Texas Rangers (36-40), June 21, 2026, 11:35 a.m. PST
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Jun 19, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the field during the first inning between the Texas Rangers and the San Diego Padres at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - MARCH 30: Starter Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of the home opener at Chase Field on March 30, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox
Time/Place: 1:40 p.m., Comerica Park SB Nation Site: South Side Sox Media: Detroit SportsNet, MLB.TV, Tigers Radio Network Pitching Matchup: RHP Davis Martin (9-3, 3.31 ERA) vs. RHP Justin Verlander (0-1, 12.27 ERA)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 28: CJ McCollum #3 of the Atlanta Hawks in action during Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on April 28, 2026 in New York City. The Knicks won 126-97. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just a few days before the NBA draft, Shams Charania of ESPN broke a piece of big free agency news. Unrestricted free agent CJ McCollum will reportedly return to the Hawks on a one-year deal:
Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum has agreed to a one-year, $21 million contract extension with the franchise, plus a trade kicker, agent Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports Management tells ESPN. McCollum has been eligible for an extension until June 30 and commits to a new deal that… pic.twitter.com/rTZKEX32Ks
Since the Hawks acquired McCollum’s full bird rights last trade deadline, the one-year deal gives him an implied no-trade clause.
After being coming over midseason, the veteran guard helped guide the Hawks to a blazing hot finish to their regular season. McCollum averaged 18.9 points per game on 56% true shooting in 41 games with the team during this span.
But arguably, he saved his best performances for the postseason, twice hitting last minute buckets to help the Hawks take two games off the champion Knicks.
McCollum will be 35 years old next season, and there’s a chance they add a young perimeter player to the mix with their eighth overall pick this week, so this is a great compromise between retaining a key contributor while remaining focused on the future.
Don’t look now, but catching prospect Kody Huff has quietly been having a great season in Columbus as well. Huff was perfect at the plate on Saturday, going 1-for-1 with a home run and three walks, raising his season OPS to .929, which is second on the team only to Cooper ingle.
Speaking of Ingle, he walked and had an RBI from a sacrifice fly.
Other standouts for the day were Ralphy Velazquez, who went 2-for-4, and C.J. Kayfus, who went 1-fo-3 with a walk.
This game saw the activation of top pitching prospect Yorman Gomez and he was solid, striking out eight batters and walking zero in 3.2 innings. He allowed two runs on four hits.
Trenton Denholm followed with one run allowed in 3.2 additional innings and Franco Aleman finished off the game with 1.2 perfect innings and three strikeouts to earn his eight save.
Akron RubberDucks 1, Altoona Curve 3 (F/10)
RubberDucks fall to 34-33
There wasn’t much to say about this one on the offense end. Juan Benjamin had the best game, going 1-for-3 with a double, a steal and a walk. Jose Devers also went 1-for-3 with a walk.
Starting pitcher Josh Hartle was excellent, allowing one run (zero earned) on just two hits in 6.1 innings pitched. He struck out four and walked three.
Jack Jasiak followed with 1.2 scoreless innings and four strikeouts and Jack Carey initially pitched a scoreless ninth inning, but then gave up two runs in the top of the 10th and Akron was unable to answer.
Hill City Howlers 10, Augusta GreenJackets 11
Howlers fall to 31-37
There was plenty of offense for Hill City, just not enough pitching on Saturday. Luis De La Cruz paved the way, going an impressive 4-for-5 from the field with a home run and a double, just missing the cycle by a triple. He also stole a base.
Dauri Fernandez singled, walked twice and stole two bases while Anthony Martinez doubled and walked twice. Martinez has a .945 OPS at Hill City and should be playing at Lake County right now. I expect a promotion by the All-Star break.
Johnathan Martinez also had an excellent game, going 2-for-4 with a home run.
Starting pitcher Will McCausland was knocked around for five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk in 5.1 innings pitched. Keegan Zinn allowed another three runs in just 0.2 innings.
Unfortunately, after Hill City rallied for four runs to take a 10-8 lead in the top of the ninth inning Ettore Giulianelli failed to get more than one out before giving up three runs to allow Augusta to walk it off.
ACL Guardians 11, ACL Royals 4
Guardians improve to 23-14
The ACL Guardians struck early and often in this one, jumping out to a 6-0 lead in the first two innings and then adding another five runs the rest of the way thanks to 11 hits and seven walks.
Once again, the Guardians were paced by Alejandro Blasco, who has been a freaking revelation this season at the ACL. The kid does nothing but tattoo the ball, hitting .500 with a ridiculous 1.887 OPS in the rookie league.
Blasco blasted two more home runs on Saturday, going 3-for-4 with six RBIs and a walk. In 12 games played thus far, he has seven home runs, five doubles and 11 walks. Yes, he’s averaging at least one extra base hit and one walk per game.
Pedro Dalmagro also had a great game, going 4-for-5 with a triple. Steven Cruz reached base three times by going 1-for-3 with two walks and three stolen bases while Rodny Rosario went 1-for-3 with a double and two walks.
Rehabbing pitcher Harrison Bodendorf allowed two runs on four hits in 2.0 innings. Erigaldi Perez stood out on the mound, allowing one run on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 4.1 innings.
SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Kraken acquired young forward Mackie Samoskevich from the Florida Panthers for the No. 25 pick in the NHL draft on Friday and a second-rounder next year, the teams announced Sunday.
Samoskevich is a 23-year-old with 64 points in 160 regular-season and playoff games who gives the Kraken a much-need infusion talent after they missed the playoffs for the fourth time in their five years of existence. He is a restricted free agent who needs a new contract.
“Mackie is a talented young player who we are excited to bring into the fold,” Seattle general manager Jason Botterill said. “He has speed, skill and scoring ability. A Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers in 2025, Mackie’s a player who can contribute offensively and add a spark to our lineup.”
Trading Samoskevich for picks clears space as the Panthers retool following a season that got derailed by injuries after they won the Stanley Cup back to back in 2024 and ’25. The 25th pick, a late first-rounder, originally belonged to rival Tampa Bay, while the second will be the higher of Winnipeg's or Columbus'.
Samoskevich was the No. 24 pick in the 2021 draft who then played at Michigan alongside new Kraken teammate Matty Beniers.
White Sox ace Davis Martin looks to get back on track in Detroit today. | John Jones-Imagn Images
The precipice of getting swept: a familiar, yet unfamiliar, circumstance on the South Side as of late.
Familiar because, hey, we watched this team in 2023, 2024 and 2025. It’s not like we didn’t see the brooms get broken out with more regularity than just about any set of fans, ever. Hell, they got swept three times in the first 19 games of the season just this year!
Now, just when we thought we’d broken free, all we can do is watch the Tigers creep back over the horizon like an eagle returning for another go at Prometheus.
Nonetheless, Davis Martin is probably the guy we want to see out on the hill to claw a game back and thwart the sweep. Despite Martin’s clunker against the Yankees earlier this week, he’s still giving them the best chance to win when he steps on the field, and this is the kind of game they need to get if they want to show that this magical first half hasn’t been a pure mirage.
I am going to be looking closely at Martin’s velocity early in the game. His four-seamer has slowed down incrementally in three straight starts now, going from a peak of 95.2 mph on May 16 to 93.8 mph last Tuesday, slowest since April. There’s a pretty strong argument that Martin’s start against the Yankees looks a bit differently if simple bad luck hadn’t let Ben Rice squib one against the shift in the third inning, or had Jacob Gonzalez not forgotten to cover his own base a few batters later.
That being said, Martin’s stuff was not at its sharpest on Tuesday, and when you factor in his six-run stinker against Minnesota a few starts back, it might begin to constitute a worrisome trend if it persists today. Martin threw just a single fewer inning in his first 14 starts last season than he has through his first 14 of this year, but it was after his 14th start of last year that he went on the IL with a forearm strain that wound up costing him a month. Going on the standard four days rest this afternoon, today could be a litmus test for where the budding ace is at right now.
Also, hey, Grant Taylor is available! Just like yesterday, and Thursday, and Wednesday and Tuesday. When asked about Taylor’s inactivity, Will Venable yesterday sounded frighteningly close to the precipice of simply walking back their preseason ramp-up goal of 100 innings pitched.
Venable on Grant Taylor: "He's available and fine and really just trying to find the right spot for him. With as special as Grant is and want to make sure we're using him in the right spots. Those just really haven't come up in the last few days."
Today marks just the second day off of the season for Miguel Vargas, who has earned a breather more than just about anybody else on this roster. Though he was still hitting the ball plenty hard, Vargas has run into some hard luck as of late, going just three for his last 27 without a walk over the last seven games.
The state of the Tigers offense is rough, and letting them complete the sweep would be quite a deflation in a way that no loss to the Yankees ever could be. I genuinely thought for a moment that this was a light getaway day lineup from A.J. Hinch before realizing that James Outman and Trei Cruz are actually near the top of their depth charts.
We’ve got an early one yet again, as first pitch is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. CT at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit. If you want to join us, broadcasts are available on CHSN (TV) and WMVP AM 1000 (radio), like always!
When the San Jose Sharks sent the 20th overall pick to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for the 27th overall selection and Michael Kesselring, a question immediately popped in my mind: just how different are the players often available at 20th overall and 27th overall?
Of course, the obvious fact of the matter is that the Sharks will have seven less players to choose from when they take the stage, but is there a major difference in the caliber of player at each draft choice? Let’s take a look.
Hockey Hall of Famers
The most obvious place to start: how many players from each draft position have found themselves enshrined at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto?
Three players drafted 20th overall have been inducted to the Hall of Fame at this point, but more could follow in the near future.
The first 20th overall pick inducted into the Hall was Larry Robinson in 1995. The legendary defenseman was drafted 20th by the Montreal Canadiens during the 1971 NHL Draft. He went on to play 1,384 games in the NHL, the majority of which came in Montreal, although he finished his career with the Los Angeles Kings. He’s the NHL’s all-time leader in plus/minus, finishing his career with a +722, and won six Stanley Cups as a player.
Michel Goulet was the next 20th overall selection inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame, earning that honor in 1998 after 15 seasons and 1,089 games in the NHL. He was selected 20th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1979.
Most recently, legendary goaltender Martin Brodeur, who was selected 20th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 1990, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018 after setting numerous records throughout his career.
27th overall is a bit tricky in regards to the Hockey Hall of Fame, as technically two players drafted with that pick have gone on to be enshrined at the Hall of Fame, but only one was inducted as a player. Joe Nieuwendyk is the sole 27th overall pick to be inducted into the Hall for his playing career.
The Calgary Flames selected Nieuwendyk in the 1985 NHL Draft, and at the time, the 27th overall pick was in the second round. He went on to play 1,257 career games in the NHL for a number of different teams, and he was a three-time Stanley Cup Champion.
Colin Campbell was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a builder, but he was also selected 27th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 1973 NHL Draft.
For the sake of the on-ice argument, we won’t count Campbell toward the total of 27th overall picks to make it to the Hockey Hall of Fame since it wasn't based on his playing performance. As a result, there were three Hall of Famers drafted 20th overall and only one Hall of Fame player drafted 27th overall.
While the Hall of Fame is a nice accomplishment, quite a few great players never get that honor and it's far from the only milestone worth looking at.
1000+ Games Played
Longevity is key to a successful NHL career. If a player makes it past the 1,000-game plateau, it means they were an impact player in some regard, even if they weren’t necessarily a superstar. With a late first-round pick, general managers aren’t looking for the next Macklin Celebrini or Sidney Crosby; typically, they’re looking for their long-term third-line center or second-pairing defenseman. While they certainly won’t be disappointed if they strike gold, it’s not the expectation.
Five players drafted 20th overall have played 1,000 or more games in the NHL: Brent Burns, Robinson, Brodeur, Goulet, and Travis Zajac.
At 27th overall, there have been six players to pass the 1,000-game threshold. Scott Mellanby, Nieuwendyk, John Carlson, Tie Domi, Scott Gomez, and Steve Staios all were able to hit that milestone before retiring, and Carlson is still going.
200+ Games Played
Now that we’ve gone over impact players, the next question becomes, how many legitimate NHL players have been picked with each selection? Although calling someone an NHLer is often subjective, the threshold we’ll use for this is 200 games played, as it’s very difficult for a player to hang in the league for that long if they’re playing above their skill level.
There have been 32 players selected 20th overall who have gone on to play in 200 or more NHL games during their career. California native Beau Bennett was the last player to meet the criteria, as he finished his playing career with exactly 200 games played.
That number drops slightly with the 27th overall selection, as only 28 players drafted 27th overall have appeared in 200 or more NHL games. With that being said, it’s not a substantial difference.
Overall, it appears that, as expected, the 20th overall pick does have a higher chance at producing a superstar player and an NHLer in general. With that being said, the 27th overall pick has historically had quite a few effective role players with lengthy careers.
While the 20th overall selection gives the Buffalo Sabres a wider prospect pool to choose from, the 27th overall pick produces effective players at a similar rate, meaning the Sharks didn’t give up much value at all to add a useful defenseman, Michael Kesselring, to their blue line.
All-in-all, it appears both teams got exactly what they needed from the trade. The Sabres get a slightly higher chance of getting a player that will eventually crack the NHL, while the Sharks kept their lottery ticket and added the exact type of player they’d hope to get with the 20th overall selection in Kesselring.
DENVER, COLORADO - MAY 29: Logan Webb #62 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning at Coors Field on May 29, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s series finale time, as the San Francisco Giants finish off their South Beach series against the Miami Marlins with some Sunday day baseball. The Giants are sending ace Logan Webb (4-4, 3.46 ERA) to the mound, against right-hander (and Santa Rosa native) Ryan Gusto (0-2, 7.24 ERA).
Apr 20, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Fans look on during a rain delay before the Chicago Cubs game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images
It’s raining in Chicago today, and the conclusion of the Jays’ seties with the Cubs has been preemptively bumped to August:
As Wilner notes, this is a really tough break. Instead of a pretty favourable matchup against Shota Imanaga [not Seiya Suzuki, who is a DH, apologies for the error in the original version of this post], with some momentum after yesterday’s big comeback, Dylan Cease will face a much tougher opponent in Hunter Brown tomorrow night. Resting the bullpen undoubtedly helps, but that 17 game stretch in August ia going to be a brutal slog right as the wildcard race really takes shape.
Plus, we all now have a Sunday afternoon to kill. On Father’s Day of all days.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JUNE 20: Curtis Mead #45 and Luis García Jr. #2 of the Washington Nationals celebrate a win over the Tampa Bay Rays after a baseball game at Tropicana Field on June 20, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the Rays took game one, the Nats grinded out a one run win in game two of the three game set. That sets the stage for a rubber match this afternoon. The Nats will look to win yet another series, while the Rays look to stay hot at home.
Blake Butera made a few tweaks to his lineup. Jacob Young is out of the lineup after banging into the wall yesterday. The outfield will consist of Daylen Lile in left, Dylan Crews in center and James Wood in right. Jose Tena will be in the DH spot and Drew Millas will be behind the plate. Andrew Alvarez is on the mound, and the Nats will look for more length than usual from the southpaw.
With a lefty on the mound, the Rays are making a few changes. Ryan Vilade will make his first start of the series in right field. Jonny DeLuca will also be back in the lineup. Ben Williamson will play second base, while Nick Fortes gets his first start of the series behind the plate. Nick Martinez has been a great signing for the Rays, and will take the ball today.
Rays 6/21
Y. Díaz DH J. DeLuca CF J. Aranda 1B J. Caminero 3B R. Vilade RF B. Williamson 2B C. Simpson LF N. Fortes C T. Walls SS
This is a big rubber match for both teams. The Nats will look to enter a massive 4 game clash with the Phillies with some momentum. Another series win would be a massive boost for the boys on this Father’s Day. Follow along in the comments down below and let’s go Nats!
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 17: Jordan Goodwin #23 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after a three-point shot against the Golden State Warriors during the second half of an NBA play-in tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 17, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Warriors 111-96. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Less than 24 hours after the Phoenix Suns re-signed guard Collin Gillespie to a 4-year, $48 million deal, Phoenix is bringing back guard Jordan Goodwin on a three-year, $19 million deal that includes a player option for the third season, according to NBA Insider Shams Charania.
Free agent guard Jordan Goodwin intends to sign a three-year, $19 million deal to return to the Phoenix Suns, with a player option in the third season, sources tell ESPN. Goodwin made the Suns roster out of training camp on a non-guaranteed contract and emerged as a key reserve… pic.twitter.com/1AIhm2BuEL
The first year of the deal starts at $5.8 million, and the third year with the player option is worth $6.8 million, according to Arizona Sports Insider John Gambadoro.
As we said yesterday Goodwin was next. Now they will work on Mark Williams to see if they can come to an agreement. It is a three-year deal for $19 million for Goodie. The third year is a player option. The contract will start at $5.8 million and the option year will be worth… https://t.co/5pMZ25g1mg
Goodwin, 27, had a career year with the Suns this past season, averaging nine points per game, five rebounds, two assists, and led the team with 109 steals. Goodwin started Game 1 of the Suns’ series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but missed the rest of the team’s playoff run after injuring his calf early on.
Initially being traded to the Suns as part of the Bradley Beal deal, Goodwin spent the first half of the 2023-2024 season in Phoenix until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, who waived him. After spending the 2024-2025 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers, Goodwin resigned with the Suns last season and made the roster out of training camp, and impressed.
Phoenix continues to bring back key players from their surprising season last year, and according to Charania and Gambadoro, retaining Mark Williams is the next order of business.
Elmer Rodriguez of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders enters the field before a Minor League Baseball game at Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, United States, on May 23, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
We were dazzled on Friday night, and disappointed yesterday. The Yankees, and certainly the readership, are hoping to be at least satisfied come Sunday afternoon, as the club looks to win yet another series, this time against the Reds. It’s not going to be easy — Chase Burns isn’t quite Cam Schlittler, but he is The Guy The Reds Turn To In Games Like This.
The 23-year-old Burns showed flashes of his potential last year, and is rounding himself into a damn good form this season, his first full in The Show. (This will actuallly be his second start against the Yanks, as he fanned eight Yankees in his MLB debut last year.) The second overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Wake Forest, Burns features one of the best fastballs in the game and maybe the best slider, a hilarious pitch with a .192 wOBA against and a 52.6 percent whiff rate that made me laugh aloud when I looked it up. If a Yankee gets to two strikes today, you can have a pretty good idea what pitch Burns is going to turn to. The problem is most major-league hitters haven’t been able to help themselves even when they know what’s coming.
Rodríguez is a little bit of a different story. The org’s top pitching prospect at the start of the season, the righty has been more than respectable with Triple-A Scranton but has stumbled a little in his first three MLB starts. He has been used in times of semi-to-real emergency, which might explain part of it, but the big issue is his walks. He’s walked more big leaguers than he’s struck out, and at this level you’re just allowing too much traffic for anything to happen. Despite what we saw yesterday, the Reds aren’t typically a powerhouse offense — if you don’t give them chances, you can have a decent day on the mound.
Spencer Jones gets a taste of the cleanup spot today, and Jasson Domínguez finds himself batting in the two hole. The youngsters look to play a significant role in the game for at least one day. Also note that Austin Wells is back with the Yankees today, activated off the IL following a rehab assignment in Triple-A. J.C. Escarra was sent back to Triple-A with the Yanks electing to keep Ali Sánchez as the backup.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - JUNE 12: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians doubles on a sharp line drive to right field in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field on June 12, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Russell Lee Verlinger/Cleveland Guardians/Getty Images) | Getty Images
