MLB proposed a hard salary cap to the MLB Players' Association in New York on Thursday, May 28. It was the first by the league owners since 1994.
The proposed $245.3 million salary cap, which would include benefits, is lower than nine current MLB clubs’ payroll and would require a total reduction in payroll of $578 million.
Among those nine teams is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have a payroll of $420,146,940 for the 2026 season, according to Spotrac. That's the highest in the league, and they're followed by the New York Mets ($381.85 million) and New York Yankees ($336.56 million).
Los Angeles will pay just over $169.1 million in luxury tax (competitive balance tax) for the 2026 season. The team paid a record-breaking $169.4 million in taxes for 2025 after constructing the most expensive roster in sports history.
MLB insists the newly proposed salary cap would increase competitive balance in the sport.
How would a hard cap impact the Dodgers?
The Dodgers have used the current salary structure to their advantage, acquiring star players such as Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Tucker in recent years and producing back-to-back World Series championships.
Current contracts would be grandfathered in, but any future contracts would be structured around the new salary cap.
If the hard cap is implemented, the defending champions would have to (currently) cut $174.84 million to meet the $245.3 million salary cap.
While there are several things that would need to happen before the Dodgers actually have to make any decisions, it may, at the very least, place a sense of urgency on the franchise to make the most of the current success window.
Ohtani has a heavily deferred 10-year, $700 million deal that he signed in 2023. Outfielder Kyle Tucker signed a four-year deal in January worth $240 million.
Shortstop Mookie Betts (2032), pitcher Blake Snell (2030) and pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2029) are among the other players at the top of the payroll with long-term deals. First baseman Freddie Freeman's six-year, $162 million contract expires in 2027.
Major League Baseball (MLB) and the MLB Players’ Association (MLBPA) have begun the process of negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that will take effect with the next baseball season.
The current CBA runs out on Dec. 1 of this year. The two sides began their preliminary groundwork for negotiations earlier this month. The MLBPA submitted its first proposal on Wednesday, with its lead negotiator, Bruce Meyer, releasing a statement outlining the goal for their efforts.
“Today, the MLBPA presented a comprehensive set of economic proposals designed to advance the rights and benefits of players at all levels,” MLBPA interim executive director Bruce Meyer said in a statement. “Our goal is to preserve and improve baseball’s market system, rewarding competition on and off the field.”
MLBPA proposal
Following is a synopsis of the major proposals for the MLBPA’s initial effort:
A boost in the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1.5 million beginning in 2027.
A Competitive Integrity Tax that penalizes a team that fails to reach a minimum $150 million payroll.
Luxury Tax changes that would increase the Competitive Balance Tax threshold from $244 million to $300 million for 2027 and then incrementally increase to $360 million by 2031.
Free Agency changes that would give a player who is 30-years-old and has a minimum of 5 years of service, the ability to become a free agent instead of the current required 6 years of service time.
Revenue-sharing changes that would increase the amount shared from locally based revenues among all teams, but less sharing from local revenue generated from stadium-based revenues. Teams share the first $50 million in local revenue and then two-thirds of every dollar beyond that.
Each team would get a certain amount from the central revenue each season, starting at $240 million the first year, and paired with a provision that requires spending the revenue on payroll.
Increased revenue sharing to low-revenue teams that make the postseason or have winning records.
Penalties to teams that don’t spend their revenue-sharing income on team payroll.
Draft picks and incentives for low-revenue teams that are active in signing free agents.
Expand the draft lottery from 6 teams to 8 teams for first pick in the draft.
Expand the Prospect Promotion Incentive program.
Eliminate the Qualifying Offer for free agents and eliminate the non-financial CBT penalties.
Increase the compensation to lower-revenue teams losing a player to free agency.
Enlarge the pre-arbitration bonus pool from $50 million to $180 million. There would be annual increases added to that amount.
MLB made an official response to the MLBPA proposal.
“We appreciate the union making a set of proposals and we look forward to continuing the bargaining process and working towards solving the competitive balance problem our fans are telling us needs to be addressed,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “We understand their proposals are designed to benefit players. Unfortunately, they do not address and in fact exacerbate the competitive balance problem our fans are telling us we must address.”
MLB counterproposal
Today, MLB released the highlights of its proposal and Glen Caplin, MLB spokesperson, made the following statement.
“Fans overwhelmingly support a salary cap and floor like in the other leagues because they don’t believe a $446 million spending gap from top to bottom is a fair fight,” league spokesperson Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Our salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 as we grow the game together.”
Here are the major proposal highlights for the MLB:
Payroll floor of $171.2 million and a payroll cap of $245.3 million for every team, starting in 2027. That includes player benefits, just like the current contract.
50-50 split of league revenues with the players. As the revenues increase, the salary cap and salary floor would also increase.
Centralized fund for all local media revenues, with the money distributed equally among all the teams.
The issues of free agency, draft lottery, and arbitration were not addressed in their initial proposal. The league is proposing a seven-year term for the contract.
What’s at stake
This process promises to be a drawn-out battle with both sides determined to hold the course with their bottom lines. The players have repeatedly stated they will never agree to a salary cap, and the owners have repeatedly said the organizational revenue and payroll disparities are not good for baseball, and they are representing the demands of the fans with their proposals.
Some points that both sides will undoubtedly bring out during the course of this negotiation
A top 10 payroll team has won six of the last seven World Series.
A bottom 15 payroll team hasn’t won a World Series since the Kansas City Royals in 2015.
The payroll disparity from the top five teams to the bottom five is almost five times (4.7 exactly), the most on record. The Dodgers’ payroll, including luxury tax, is $407 million in 2026. The Miami Marlins payroll is $74 million in 2026.
MLB formed a Fan Council in 2025, requesting the input of fans regarding issues important to them. Competitive balance was reported as the most important topic discussed.
Baseball is at its most popular and financially lucrative status in history. Both sides should be motivated to reach an agreement to maintain this momentum. The fans were alienated significantly with the labor dispute of 1994, when the World Series and a lot of the season were cancelled. It is everyone’s best interest not to have that happen again.
How this affects the Padres
Under the current proposal, the Padres would be one of the teams required to reduce payroll. It is not likely that this proposal will resemble the final proposal. These are the ideal terms the two sides would want to have for their contract. If the two sides can’t come to an agreement it is likely a owner “lock out” will ensue and the season could be compromised significantly.
Mikal Bridges has actually been to a Finals before. He knows what the experience is like.
And all the extras that come along with it — extra praise, extra criticism, extra media obligations, extra questions, extra attention.
He is one of only two players on the Knicks, along with Jordan Clarkson to have played in the Finals (OG Anunoby was on the Raptors but did not play in the 2019 Finals).
Bridges’ advice for his teammates centers on handling that extra praise.
Mikal Bridges talks to reporters during Knicks practice on May 28, 2026 in Tarrytown, N.Y. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“Just worry about what we have to do to be better,” Bridges said after practice Thursday. “Not get too into the media and all the stuff. A lot of questions, a lot of talk about how great we are, how great we’ve been. That doesn’t matter, we just gotta worry about being ourselves and stay locked in. And go win.”
There is so much fanfare around the Knicks, who are in the Finals for the first time since 1999. It’s coming from ordinary fans, from celebrity fans, from neutrals, from other local athletes, from local media and from national media.
They have broken record after record during their 11-game winning streak. Chief among them: They outscored their opponents by 262 points during those 11 games, the best point differential across 11 games in NBA history, regular season or postseason.
New York City has been whipped into a frenzy. Right now, Knicks players are gods among men. Everyone wants a piece of them.
That’s all nice and fine. But the Knicks want to ignore all of it.
Coach Mike Brown, who will be appearing in his seventh Finals as either a head coach or assistant, knows the toll all of it can take if not handled properly.
Head coach Mike Brown talks to reporters during Knicks practice. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“There are a lot more distractions that you have to navigate,” Brown said Thursday. “So you have to be, I was talking to Allan Houston and he used the right word when I was talking to him about it, but you have to be real intentional about what you’re doing because you’re gonna get pulled in so many different directions. And everybody is human and it’s natural to get pulled here, get pulled a little here, get pulled a little there and think that you’re OK. But at the end of the day, after doing the media and practice, you’re getting pulled in three or four different directions because you’re gonna have your family around you, you’re gonna have friends around you, you’re gonna have people wanting tickets, you’re gonna have people wanting you to go on this show, that show.
“At the end of the day, you may not realize it, but it can be fatiguing for you to do all of that stuff while trying to focus on some of the biggest games of your life. Again, going off of what word Allan Houston used, trying to be intentional about everything that we do during this time, while keeping an edge, is gonna be huge.”
Ignoring all of that is much easier said than done. It’s hard not to get caught up in the moment.
How can it be accomplished?
“I think it’s different for everybody,” Jalen Brunson said. “I’ve been off social media. I may post one thing and then just go back to deleting it. You just gotta block out the noise. You gotta do whatever you can to make sure you’re locked in. Everyone is different. Every individual has their way of blocking out things.
“It’s important to not hear some of the things. When there’s negative things being said about you, it’s important to ignore them. When there’s positive things about you, it’s easy to read them and feel good. You can’t do one and not the other. So just block it out as best as you can.”
The Knicks are the center of attention in New York City right now. Soon, they’ll be at the center of attention across the country.
But they’re doing everything they can to keep their focus directed inward.
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 12: Darryn Peterson looks on during the game during the 2026 NBA Draft Combine on May 12, 2026 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Tamez/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
It’s draft night. The lights dim as the spotlight illuminates the Barclays Center stage. Colors and logos flash from the jumbo video screen as NBA commissioner Adam Silver approaches the podium. A smile nearly as luminescent as the reflection from his cranium flashes across his face as he takes a final step and leans into the microphone.
“With the first pick, in the 2026 NBA Draft,” Silver begins, the tension within the crowd materializing in the atmosphere. “The Washington Wizards select… TINGUS PINGUS!”
A stunned silence washes over the arena. Cries of “What?”, “Who?”, and “No!” pepper the stands as mystery is hastily ushered out by realization. Chaos breaks out. It’s anarchy. Replica jerseys are torn to ribbons and lit ablaze as the draft’s attendees roar in disapproval. The broadcast zooms in on BYU star AJ Dybantsa, who had instinctively arisen before his name was even called. Eyes open wide, the anticipated number-one pick stares through the fabric of reality, desperately searching for an explanation.
But none are more surprised than Draft HQ out in Salt Lake City, where the Jazz front office desperately scrambles to gather their thoughts as every great player is still available with the second overall pick.
Utah has a decision to make, and it’s one they must make quickly, because their team is on the clock, and the game plan has been thrown out the window.
You, the reader, are present in the Delta Center’s war room. Austin and Danny Ainge elbow Ryan Smith as the trio turns their attention to you. The room is still. The phone line to Brooklyn is in your grip. With every option available at number two, the decision is yours to make: who are you picking?
We asked you, the loyal (and might I add, attractive) readers of SLC Dunk, who you would prefer Utah to take with the second overall pick, and this is how you voted.
Darryn Peterson, G, Kansas (53% of votes)
AJ Dybantsa, F, BYU (38% of votes)
Cameron Boozer, F, Duke (9% of votes)
Disagree with the pick? Demanding justice for Pingus? I didn’t make the list; you did. If you’ve got a qualm or two, however, that’s why these articles have comment sections, my friends.
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
BALTIMORE, MD - MAY 28: Yohendrick Piñango #24 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates with Brandon Valenzuela #59 after defeating the Baltimore Orioles 2-1 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 28, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For any given baseball game, there are dozens or hundreds of little things that could have gone just a little differently to change a win to a loss or a loss to a win. Nearly every time, one of those things looms larger than the rest. On Thursday night as the Orioles opened up their series against the Blue Jays, the one that looms largest was this: Rookie reliever Anthony Nunez couldn’t stop walking guys in the eighth inning and he walked in what turned into the game-losing run as the O’s went on to lose, 2-1.
After impressing with some early-season outings, Nunez played himself into a late-inning high-leverage role. Things have not gone well for him in that capacity through May, with this blown game just the latest problem. If you turn to a guy with a 5 ERA in a tie game in late innings, is it really a surprise if it goes badly? On the other hand, it’s not like the Orioles are flush with better bullpen options, especially with Yennier Cano having hurt his hamstring yesterday.
Nunez’s outing began with a leadoff double given up to George Springer. After the Jays risked a sacrifice bunt to move Springer to third base, the Orioles intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to set up a possible ground ball double play. Nunez instead walked the next guy, Daulton Varsho, loading the bases. Nunez picked up a strikeout for the second out and he just needed one more out to escape this situation.
He could not do it. Facing a fellow rookie, Yohendrick Piñango, Nunez tried to get the Jays pinch hitter to bite on pitches outside of the strike zone. Two of them were nowhere near. Two were much closer, close enough that when they were called balls, Adley Rutschman challenged to try to get them overturned. He was wrong both times, including on ball four outside to force in the second Jays run.
There were chances to come back even after this. In classic 2026 Orioles fashion, they managed to find failure in the most inexplicably stupid ways. Right after the deflating bases-loaded walk, Taylor Ward led off the bottom of the eighth for the Orioles by hitting a single. Two batters later, Gunnar Henderson had struck out and Rutschman replaced Ward at first base.
This brought up Pete Alonso, who smashed a ball along the ground that deflected off of Jays pitcher Tyler Rogers. The ball bounced high up into the air before being fielded at second base by Ernie Clement, who threw to first to try to get the Polar Bear. Alonso is not a fast man. He did, however, beat this throw. The first base umpire somehow missed this call even with a great view of the situation. These injustices are why replay is important, even if it is often stupid.
Speaking of stupid: Alonso got picked off first base to end the inning. What else can you even say about it? That’s the one thing that can’t happen and the team’s $31 million veteran leader went and did it. Maybe it wouldn’t have made a difference. Weston Wilson was the batter. He hasn’t hit much in May. Fine, sure. Let him be the one who fails, so the response is, “Well, that’s what happens when Weston Wilson comes up in clutch situations because you already used Samuel Basallo to pinch hit earlier on.” Instead, the response is, come on, man.
In the ninth inning, Leody Taveras hit a one-out single to get the tying run on base. Recently-heroic Colton Cowser could not continue his streak of dramatic positive outcomes. Jackson Holliday could do nothing, either. The game was over and so was the winning streak the Orioles built up in sweeping the Rays.
Much earlier in the game, there was a starting pitching matchup that was, according to the MASN broadcast, the one with the oldest combined age of any game so far in the 2026 MLB season. 37-year-old Chris Bassitt has been good or at least okay for the past several years and has been bad so far this year. 36-year-old Patrick Corbin has been terrible for the past several years and has been decent so far this year.
These veteran guys were fine on Thursday night. Bassitt gave up a run in six innings, allowing only a third inning solo homer to Andrés Giménez. Corbin gave up a run in five innings, allowing only a fourth inning game-tying homer to Coby Mayo. Neither factored in the game’s decision.
The Orioles did threaten Corbin in the first inning. Ward led off the game with a single. Henderson hit a grounder that might have been a double play ball except it was bungled by Okamoto at third base. Because you can’t assume the double play, this was merely a fielder’s choice – at least until Ward kept racing around second base with the ball loose and Okamoto compounded the mistake by being slow to retreat back to third base. He was not in position to catch the ball and tag Ward, and in fact he did not catch the ball.
Somehow, even though the ball was never at any point in time in Okamoto’s glove, the third base umpire called Ward out on the play. MLB’s replay center took an embarrassingly long time to arrive at the obvious correction. Replay is great when it’s not stupid. The Orioles had second and third with no one out in the first inning.
Nothing happened. Rutschman lined out, then Alonso and Mayo struck out. One of these guys scoring would have been awfully nice. The Orioles couldn’t do it. Good games from Bassitt have been rare in his tenure so far and they just couldn’t capitalize on that.
This was game one of a four-game series. The season is not heading back into the toilet just because they lost one game. The Orioles just have to play better and do this until they’re back where we want them to be. They could even do it for the remainder of this series. At least, assuming they’re able to overcome the handicap of a 2026 vintage Trevor Rogers start as the set continues on Friday at 7:05. The Blue Jays, as of this writing, do not have a starting pitcher listed. Perhaps they’re trying to unearth any lefty they can find. Not a bad strategy when facing this Orioles team.
This playoff run has been a series of firsts for the San Antonio Spurs.
Thursday, May 28 presented yet another: this is the first time this young Spurs core is facing elimination in the postseason.
The Spurs are hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals in a must-win situation, as San Antonio is looking to knot the series up a three games apiece to force a Game 7.
Here are live takeaways from Game 6 of the Western Conference finals between the Spurs and Thunder:
This Victor Wembanyama makes the Spurs close to unbeatable
It became clear in the first few minutes of Game 6 that Wembanyama was correcting his mistakes from Game 5.
After playing too passively two nights ago, Wembanyama set the tone early, going 4-of-6 from the floor in the first quarter and 9-of-16 in the first half to take 22 points into intermission.
The rest of the Spurs are feeding off Wembanyama, whose effort on defense and rebounding have also lifted San Antonio. Through the first half, Wembanyama has also hauled in 5 rebounds — which is just one fewer than his total from Game 5.
That said, Wembanyama did launch 8 attempts from 3-point range. And while he made three of his first four, he cannot be settling too much for perimeter shots; the Spurs are at their best when Wembanyama is attacking the rim.
The Thunder need another scorer to emerge
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 10 points in the first half, but only got to the line twice. Cason Wallace dropped 11 on a perfect 4-of-4 half (including three drained triples). The next closest Thunder scorer was Alex Caruso with 7 points.
Oklahoma City, however, needs one of its secondary stars — Chet Holmgren (6 points) or Jared McCain (5) are top of mind — to get going with more consistency.
Jalen Williams is playing, though he’s on a minutes restriction with his hamstring injury, and can’t be counted on to be a reliable scoring threat.
Dylan Harper is providing a crucial spark off the bench
The dynamic rookie has struggled over the last three games, combining to score just 18 points on 5-of-16 shooting over that span.
In the first half Thursday night, Harper was aggressive and in a rhythm, scoring 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
It couldn’t have come at a better time, as starting point guard De’Aaron Fox missed all five of his shot attempts and didn’t record a single point. Fox does have 4 rebounds and 4 assists, but San Antonio will need scoring from the point guard position, and Harper’s energy off the bench has been massive, especially because he’s not afraid to get out in transition.
KANSAS CITY, MO - MAY 26: Bailey Falter #36 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch in the second inning of an MLB game between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals on May 26, 2026 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With just a few days left in May, the Colorado Rockies find themselves in a bit of a conundrum. With a record of 6-19 for the month and a run differential of -70, the Rockies are looking much more like the bad and rebuilding team we expected them to be compared to a relatively successful April.
With that being said, the team might need some reinforcements from outside the organization to help find their footing. Here are some options that might be worth considering:
Andrew McCutchen
They say Father Time is undefeated, and the beginning of Andrew McCutchen’s age 39 season hasn’t been a great one. After playing fairly well with his Pittsburgh Pirates last season, McCutchen was allowed to walk as the Pirates aimed to get younger. McCutchen signed on with the Texas Rangers and made their Opening Day Roster, but has struggled in limited playing time. In 83 plate appearances he has hit just .192/.277/.260 with one home run and a 62 OPS+ before being designated for assignment earlier this week.
McCutchen is by no means a permanent or long-term solution, but if the storied veteran has any gas left in the tank, he could be a low-risk move for a right-handed designated hitter on a team that has been struggling to score runs.
Bailey Falter
No matter how you feel about Kyle Freeland, I think everyone can agree that something isn’t right with the veteran lefty since he returned from the injured list. Since being activated from the 15-day IL with a sore left shoulder, Freeland has struggled immensely in 26.2 innings of work. He has an ERA of 11.48, a FIP of 7.73—which indicates that although his ERA is inflated during that time, he is still pitching poorly.
Freeland is struggling to get velocity in his four-seam fastball and struggling to place his other offerings. While he does have 26 strikeouts since returning, he also has ten walks and has given up 11 home runs. Before his injury he had a 2.30 ERA and had given up just one home run.
I would argue Freeland needs to return to the injured list, and with José Quintana out of commission with an elbow injury, the Rockies suddenly find themselves lacking for left-handed starting pitchers.
Falter, a lefty, started last season strong with a 3.73 ERA over 22 starts with the Pittsburgh Pirates before being traded to the Royals. Since landing in Kansas City he has struggled as the Royals have used him both as a starter and reliever. In nine appearances with the Royals since last season he has a 12.46 ERA over 21.2 innings.
While certainly a reclamation project for Alon Leichman and the Rockies coaching staff, Falter fits into a similar mold as Freeland. A deceptive left-handed pitcher with a low 90s four-seam fastball and a handful of breaking pitches. If the Rockies could help Falter find his form from Pittsburgh, he could be a valuable piece of depth.
Final Thoughts
Who, if anyone, do you think the Rockies should pursue as reinforcement options from outside the organization? Let us know in the comments!
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 02: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors talks to Donovan Mitchell #45 and James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers after their game at Chase Center on April 02, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’m back from my Memorial Day vacation and I’ve been waiting to get this one off about Cleveland’s demise. There was a point during Game 4 when the camera panned across Rocket Arena and you could see Knicks fans celebrating while Cavaliers fans sat frozen in their seats trying to process what had just happened.
And for Golden State Warriors fans who enjoyed a bitter rivalry with The Land, this was pretty amusing not just because Cleveland lost. I mean, the Warriors and Cavaliers haven’t really been rivals in years. LeBron left and the Dubs are figuring out who they are at this juncture of their dynasty. But there is still something deeply funny about watching the Cavaliers spend years trying to convince themselves they had rebuilt a contender only for the whole thing to collapse under the bright white lights of the Eastern Conference Finals.
“Analytically… we’ve won 2/3 games on the expected (score),- Cavs HC Kenny Atkinson.
The Knicks didn’t just beat Cleveland. They swept them with aggression, finishing it all off by walking into Rocket Arena and winning by 37 points for good measure, 130-93. They turned what should have been Cleveland’s biggest game in years into a three-hour public humiliation. By halftime the arena already sounded nervous. By the fourth quarter it sounded like Manhattan had annexed Ohio.
Going to be a really weird Cavs offseason. Mitchell’s eligible for an extension nobody is going to feel 100% great about and you have to trade him if he doesn’t sign it. Gotta either re-sign Harden or lose him for nothing. Mobley and Allen will both be in trade rumors. Probably a…
And honestly? Warriors fans already knew where this was headed.
The Cavaliers spent the first two rounds of the playoffs leaking oil everywhere. Seven games against Toronto. Seven games against Detroit. Then they blew a 22-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 1 against New York and spiritually never recovered from it. Even when the score stayed close later in the series, the energy didn’t. The Knicks looked like a team discovering itself. Cleveland looked like a team slowly realizing it had miscalculated something important.
“Genuinely, I do feel like we are the better team,” – James Harden after the Cavs were swept by the Knicks 🫨🫨🫨 pic.twitter.com/JtDk8A7D2F
The Cavaliers had talent all over the floor this season. Mitchell is phenomenal. Evan Mobley remains terrifying defensively. Harden can still manipulate a defense when he has space to breathe. But the deeper this series went, the more Cleveland looked like a team relying on individual rescue attempts while New York looked like five people operating the same machine. That is what real contenders look like. This was the Knicks kicking the door off the hinges and spending four games revealing how fragile Cleveland actually was.
And from a Warriors perspective, there was something nostalgic about it.
The old Cavaliers used to walk into Finals games with LeBron James carrying the emotional weight of an entire franchise on his back like a demigod. You always felt pressure radiating off those teams even when Golden State was better. This version felt different. Talented? Absolutely. But watching this series, there was never a moment where they felt inevitable. So now the Knicks head to the NBA Finals for the first time in over 25 years while Cleveland heads into an offseason full of uncomfortable questions about roster construction, identity, and whether this core is actually built for deep playoff basketball. Judging by the brooms falling from the sky all over Ohio this week, the East takeover might need to wait. I feel overall glad that former Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson got to take his team so far, but it’s sad to see him chained to Cleveland’s curse.
The lights came on and the Cavaliers blinked. And somewhere deep in the soul of Dub Nation, a lot of people probably smiled watching it happen.
May 27, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Taylor Ward (3) slides into third base safely past Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto (7) during the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Blue Jays 2 Orioles 1
I guess we scored some runs yesterday, so it was too much to ask for us to get more than two today.
We scored:
One in the third: Andrés Giménez homered.
And one in the eighth: George Springer doubled. Nathan Lukes bunted him to third. I hate bunts when the runner is already in scoring position. And Nathan had already had a hit tonight. Oh well. Then the Orioles intentionally walked Vladimir Guerrero. Daulton Varsho also walked, loading the bases. Kazuma Okamoto struck out, he chased strike three, but the other pitches were strikes. Yohendrick Piñango, pinch-hitting for Myles Straw, took a walk to drive in the run. A couple of the pinches were close, but Yohendrick showed a good eye. Unfortunately, Ernie Clement struck out, swinging at a pitch well off the plate. Ernie’s going to Ernie.
We had 6 hits and 5 walks, so you would have hoped for more runs. But such is life. No one had two hits. Okamoto was the only one in the starting lineup not to reach base.
Patrict Corbin threw an excellent five innings, with four hits, one earned (a Coby Mayo home run. I’ve never liked Mayo, it’s white stuff that tastes like white stuff.), He’s been nice in what I would have called a fifth starter role, if we had four other starters.
And the bullpen did well:
Braydon Fisher had a clean sixth, with a strikeout.
Jeff Hoffman allowed a hit, but had two strikeouts. He got the win.
Tyler Rogers had a tough time, giving up a couple of hits, with a strikeout and came out with two on.
Louis Varland got out of the inning, though he had little to do with it, Brandon Valenzuela made a great throw to first, to pick off the runner. Vlad played well off the line but ran to first on the pitch, and made a nice tag. He did give up a ground ball single in the ninth, but got out of the inning.
Jays of the Day: Varland (0.31 WPA, but some of that is owed to Valenzuela and Vlad), Piñango (0.24 WPA, all for the RBI walk), Fisher (0.12), Corbin (0.09) and Hoffman (0.09)
The Other Award: Okamoto (-.017, for his 0 for 3).
Tomorrow, is a 7:00 start. I thought today’s would be at 7, so I was a little late with the GameThread. Someone will start for the Jays. Connor Seabold? Someone from Buffalo? You? Me? Trevor Rogers (2-6, 6.96 ERA).
The Jays are 28-29. It would be nice to get back to .500 tomorrow.
If there’s one thing this postseason run has shown, it’s that the San Antonio Spurs can compete with the very best in the NBA when star phenom Victor Wembanyama is at his best.
And after Wembanyama struggled to assert himself in a Game 5 loss that put San Antonio in an elimination situation, Wembanyama came out with urgency and intent Thursday, May 28 in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
San Antonio is facing a 3-2 series deficit and must win Game 6 to avoid elimination.
Here’s a look at Victor Wembanyama’s stats Thursday night in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals:
Redshirt junior third baseman Mikey Bell is leaving the Gonzaga Bulldogs program after two seasons and will enter the NCAA transfer portal, per D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers.
The back-to-back West Coast Conference Player of the Year right away becomes one of the most coveted bats available across college baseball when the portal officially opens on June 1. It will be open for a 30-day window and close on June 30.
PORTAL NEWS: 2-time @WCCsports Player of the Year, @ZagBaseball 3B Mikey Bell is entering the Transfer Portal, I'm told. Bell, 6-2, 200, hit .379 this past season with 24 doubles, nine homers and 47 RBIs + 1.063 OPS. Should be a hot commodity.
The 6-2, 200-pound infielder hit .369 with 24 doubles, 20 home runs, 92 runs batted in, and 51 walks during his time in Spokane, Washington. Bell finished with a .448 on-base percentage, .610 slugging percentage, and 1.057 on-base plus slugging percentage across 107 games.
The Fresno, California, native started his college career on the junior college level with Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. The Slipper Still Fits spoke with the 22-year-old before the start of the 2026 season, and what a treat it was. Best of luck to Bell in his future endeavors.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 28: Fans erupt in cheers after Ronald Acuña Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves (not pictured) hit a grand slam in the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 28, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a rare disappointing series (against the Washington Nationals, no less), the Atlanta Braves had no choice but to lick their wounds and keep it pushing against their traditional (league-mandated) interleague rivals in the form of the Boston Red Sox. Considering that the top of the rotation was going to be in action, there was at least some hope that this meant that the pitching could at least keep Boston quiet over the course of the three games at Fenway Park.
The big question was whether or not the Braves could get over the funk that their lineup was in. It’s one thing to only score one run over two games — both losses. It’s another to do so against a Nationals pitching staff that had performed very poorly up until that date. It was now time to see if that was just an inevitable blip that all teams will have to deal with over the course of a long baseball season or if the Braves had what it took to bust out and get back to smacking the ball all over the place. In the end, we got a mixture of results but one that ended up being an ultimately successful one for the Braves. Let’s get into it, y’all.
This one started very inauspiciously in the first inning for the Braves as they went down in order very quickly against Ranger Suárez while Spencer Strider gave up back-to-back homers to start things off. Atlanta would be forced to come from behind yet again and while it took a while for things to get really interesting as far as the Braves were concerned, the road team appeared to be up for the task of making it happen.
Suárez was seemingly cruising until the fifth inning, which is when he was suddenly jarred out of that false sense of security by Matt Olson hitting a lightning bolt of a two-run homer that tied things up. The Braves went on to run Suárez out of the game in the next frame, as an Austin Riley triple off of the Monster and an RBI ground rule double from Michael Harris II gave the Braves the lead and Suárez the hook. They made sure that it was a bad day for him after a productive out from Dominic Smith and an RBI single from Ronald Acuña Jr. gave the Braves some breathing room and put all five runs on Suárez’s line for the night.
The sixth inning was also the end of the line for Strider, as he eventually ended up with five innings pitched and three runs allowed after his leadoff walk in the sixth eventually made it home while he was in the dugout. From that point forward, things got topsy turvy to the point where the Braves were in clear survival mode once this game ended. Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a solo shot in the seventh inning to cut the deficit but Michael Harris II’s fourth hit of the night was a two-run dinger in the eighth that gave the Braves some vital insurance runs. They ended up needing those insurance runs because Raisel Iglesias had a rare rough outing where he got dinged for two runs while trying to close out the game. He eventually did so and the Braves escaped with a series-opening victory.
All due respect to the lovely TV production that BravesVision brings to us fans for nearly every game but also, you know it’s bad when C.J. Nitkowski catching a foul ball was the highlight of the night for the Braves.
For the second time in four games (and the third time in about a week-and-a-half), the Braves got shut out. A six-run fourth inning for the Red Sox (aided by two costly errors from Matt Olson and Chadwick Tromp) ended up being the turning point since Atlanta had little to offer against Connelly Early and Ryan Watson on the mound for the Red Sox. Boston added two more runs late and this ended up being a pretty lame one after the Braves went down in extremely short order following the big fourth inning for the Red Sox.
The pitching matchup between Chris Sale and Payton Tolle promised to be a good one and as it turned out, both pitchers kept their promise. While both pitchers “only” made it into the fifth inning in this one, Chris Sale got the slight edge as he ended up actually completing five innings while Tolle got pulled following 4.2 innings of work.
It came down to which team would be able to put in the work after the starting pitchers exited the game and boy, oh boy, the Braves certainly put in the work once Tolle was gone. The game turned Atlanta’s way in the sixth inning, which is when the Braves took the lead on a bases-loaded walk from Mike Yastrzemski and then broke the game wide open after Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his first dinger since April 24 (!!!) in grand fashion. Acuña’s grand slam put Atlanta up by five runs and thanks to the bullpen clamping down from that point forward, the Braves ended up cruising for the rest of the way.
Michael Harris II added another home run for good measure in the seventh inning to put a cap on a lovely series for Money Mike and then Ozzie Alies bopped one out in the ninth inning for two runs that pushed the Braves into double digits on the day. I’d say that avenging an eight-run loss with an eight-run win is a pretty solid way to clinch a series, right? Their 15th series win in 57 games, no less. Pretty good, huh!
For this to be a series win, there wasn’t really a ton of time where it felt comfortable for the Braves — or a least that’s how I felt watching this series. The only times I really felt completely relaxed while watching this series was after Raisel Iglesias got the final out of the first game and after Acuña’s grand slam in the series finale. Outside of that, Boston was tough to deal with and it’s hard to believe that they have such a poor record at Fenway Park.
Still, it speaks to the resiliency of this Atlanta squad that they were able to turn this into a series win. It got really hairy in that first game and the second game was tight for a bit as well but ultimately the Braves did themselves a lot of credit by proving themselves as the better team and taking the series.
Seeing Michael Harris II rake over the course of this three-game series was certainly encouraging and it was truly a sight for sore eyes to see Acuña send one flying over the Green Monster in order to put Atlanta well ahead in the rubber match. While it’s obvious that this lineup is missing Drake Baldwin a little bit, it sure would be nice to see the current face of the franchise start to get hot at the plate, himself. Hopefully this’ll be the start of seeing Acuña get on a heater, which is something that pretty much everybody across Braves Country would love to see. Jorge Mateo even did some serious work when he was called upon, so that was lovely to see in what ended up being a pretty positive series for the Braves.
Now, the focus turns to Cincinnati where the Braves will hopefully be able to keep things going in Cincinnati against the Reds. It’s always a bit concerning going into that ballpark with the bottom part of the rotation set to take on all the challenges that come along with playing against the Reds in that stadium. At the same time, the Reds have struggled against teams who are over .500 and the Braves lineup will also get to hopefully benefit from those dimensions as well. Hopefully we’ll continue to see the version of Atlanta’s lineup that did some serious work in the two wins in this series at Fenway Park rather than the one that has been intermittently showing up and getting shut out. We’ll see what happens.
Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga made his first start for the organization's Triple-A ballclub, the Syracuse Mets, on Thursday night.
Senga took the mound against the Rochester Red Wings, the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. Senga's workload saw a massive boost tonight, though his effectiveness and efficiency left a lot on the table.
He came out of the gates firing, beginning his start against the top of the Red Wings order by striking out the side, all swinging.
However, he ran into some trouble during the rest of his start, losing control of the strike zone on multiple occasions.
He threw 80 pitches through 3.2 innings, allowing three runs on four hits and two walks.
Just two of those runs were earned, as in the fourth inning, the baserunner who eventually scored (Robert Hassell III) reached base on a fielding error by highly touted first base prospect Ryan Clifford.
Senga was removed from the game, having recorded five strikeouts with Syracuse leading 6-3. His signature forkball was his best pitch all night, especially when it came to generating whiffs.
While the Mets are clearly ramping up Senga's workload at a rapid pace, it remains unclear as to what role he will have on the team's pitching staff, as well as when he will return to the big league roster.
Before the offseason ever achieved liftoff, the Philadelphia Flyers are already about to be down one superstar forward they could have considered signing to an offer sheet this summer.
While he is not a center, Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson was, by far and away, the top RFA of the 2026 free agent class.
The 26-year-old scored 109 points in the 2022-23 season and racked up another 96 this season, scoring 40 goals for the third time in his NHL career.
Robertson also averaged a career-high 20:15 of ice time this season as he emerges as one of the NHL's premier two-way forwards to go with his goal-scoring exploits.
The problem, though, is that the Flyers probably won't even be able to take a crack at signing him now.
According to NHL insider Emily Kaplan's latest report for ESPN, "The Jason Robertson saga will finally see some clarity and all signs point to an extension in Dallas, rather than a trade."
Speaking of the offer sheet, Kaplan added that, "for one to actually happen, everything has to line up: cap space, draft-pick compensation, player buy-in and a team willing to push the risk. That's why the noise almost always outweighs the action."
There are not many legitimate offer sheet candidates on the free agent market this year for the Flyers anyway, or at least ones that move the needle like Robertson or a skilled young center would.
Pipe dreams like Adam Fantilli, Leo Carlsson, and Connor Bedard are almost assuredly not going to happen barring an unforeseen warp in time-space.
It isn't like the Flyers necessarily needed to add another winger, anyway, but any time you can add a player of Robertson's ilk to your roster, you have to do it.
That would have been an ambitious move for a Flyers team that just made the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the pandemic, but ultimately, it doesn't seem like it's meant to be.
Plus, signing Robertson to the cap hit needed to choke the Stars out of his price range would have required the Flyers to fork over their first-round pick in each of the next four drafts, starting with 2027, which would severely inhibit their ability to add to the roster in other ways and build a sustainable team flush with young talent to complement the older players.
Going forward, though, the Flyers would be wise to consider other, more low-key offer sheet candidates.
