After calling Knicks fans “annoying” during the conference semifinals, Charles Barkley has changed his tune.
Barkley raved about the “energy” of New York fans on Adam Schein’s “Mad Dog Sports Radio” show on Monday morning — while still having a little dig for the orange and blue faithful.
“I’m not gonna lie, last year in the Conference Finals, we traveled, and man, it’s a different thing being in New York,” Barkley told Schein, according to Awful Announcing. “I know New Yorkers are annoying. But man, they’re right. When the Knicks are doing good, it’s a different energy in that city.”
Charles Barkley has previously been critical of Knicks fans. Getty Images
“It was one of the most amazing things those three games we went to in New York,” Barkley said, referring to the Knicks’ Conference Finals matchup against the Pacers last year. “And then now you’re gonna put it on steroids going to the Finals.”
With “Inside the NBA” serving as the NBA Finals’ primary studio show for the first time in the show’s 38-year history, Barkley is especially looking forward to the series.
New York fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the NBA Finals. AP Photo/Tim Phillis
“For me, being able to do the Finals for the first time, to get the New York Knicks in the Finals…I’m so glad we’re gonna get to do the games,” Barkley said. “But for Adam Silver, this is a dream matchup to get the Knicks against Victor (Wembanyama).”
Barkley hasn’t always sided with New York, though, as he complained about the “annoying” Knicks fans during the first round series against Atlanta.
He claimed that Knicks fans who were staying in the same hotel as him questioned coach Mike Brown and suggested the team trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo when the Knicks fell 2-1 down in the series.
The Knicks, though, have won 11 straight games since and are on the doorstep of their first title since 1973.
Game 1 tips off on Wednesday night in San Antonio.
The Montreal Canadiens are one of the most exciting teams in the NHL. They not only made it to the Eastern Conference Final this year but also have plenty of promising prospects in their system. Florian Xhekaj is among them, as the 21-year-old forward has the potential to emerge as an impactful NHL forward.
Xhekaj appeared in his first five career NHL games this season with the Canadiens, where he recorded an assist, seven penalty minutes, and nine hits. Down in the AHL with the Laval Rocket this season, he had 17 goals, 29 points, and 182 penalty minutes in 64 games. This is after he had 24 goals, 35 points, and 175 penalty minutes in 69 games for Laval in 2024-25.
Overall, Xhekaj has shown promise at the AHL level. Because of this, the 6-foot-3 forward is a breakout candidate to watch for the 2026-27 season. It would not be surprising in the slightest if the young forward takes another step forward in his development and cements himself a spot in the Canadiens' bottom six because of it.
Xhekaj's toughness and grit are hard to ignore, but he has also shown at the AHL level that he has a bit of a scoring touch. It will be interesting to see if he can translate this kind of play over to the NHL next season with Montreal, but it is hard not to feel optimistic about his future with the club.
An Amazon Prime membership unlocks all kinds of benefits for users, but the best — and most relevant, as Knicks fans on a bit of a time crunch — is the ultra-fast shipping. If you aren’t already a member, you can take advantage of a 30-day free trial (which will also run through this year’s annual Prime Day) and get your Knicks gear in less than 24 hours.
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This classic tee with a vintage vibe would make the perfect Game 1 fit — especially since it’ll be on your doorstep tomorrow before tip-off with Amazon Prime shipping.
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
LeBron James is still in the business of keep receipts.
On an episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast with Steve Nash, the Los Angeles Lakers superstar took a pointed shot at former Lakers champion Ron Harper while discussing Harper’s son, San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper.
“Yeah, Dylan’s great. I mean, his daddy ain’t s–t, but he’s good,” James said. “I’ll see him when I see him.”
The comment seemed to be a direct response to remarks Ron Harper made during NBA All-Star Weekend earlier this year. When asked whether he always envisioned both of his sons, Dylan Harper and Ron Harper Jr., reaching the NBA, the five-time NBA champion took an apparent swipe at James.
“I’m not LeBron James,” Harper said. “I’m not going to tell my kids what they have to do. I just want them to play and enjoy the game and whatever they can get back out of the ball game, we will take it.”
New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden – Former Chicago Bulls player Ron Harper pointing from his seat during the game. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Harper later doubled down during an appearance on the “It Is What It Is” podcast, ranking Scottie Pippen ahead of James on his all-time small forward list while criticizing LeBron’s defensive style.
James’ latest comment came while praising Dylan Harper, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The former Rutgers star has quickly become one of the league’s most promising young players and is helping fuel a Spurs team that beat the odds by making the 2026 NBA Finals, beating out the favored Oklahoma City Thunder.
Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs and Jared McCain #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder NBAE via Getty Images
For now, the exchange adds another chapter to an unexpected feud between two former NBA champions. And judging by LeBron’s response, it’s clear he hasn’t forgotten Harper’s comments anytime soon.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Rod Brind’Amour knows the exact moment he realized the Carolina Hurricanes could be Stanley Cup contenders.
“Eight years ago,” he said. That was when Brind’Amour took over as coach, beginning a journey of making the playoffs every year and falling short of the final each time until now.
The Vegas Golden Knights were born nine years ago, but from the time they pillaged the rest of the NHL in the expansion draft through this spring, they have set championship expectations. They made the final in their inaugural season and won it all in 2023. Their third visit to the Cup Final perhaps is their most surprising.
This Vegas-Carolina final almost is a decade in the making for a pair of teams in non-traditional markets that have become powerhouses. The collision course brought them to this moment, a best-of-seven series that begins with Game 1.
“It’s for all the marbles,” Golden Knights forward Cole Smith said. “Just the way they play, they play a really fast game. So do we. It’s going to be a really great series.”
Brind’Amour has been a Carolina constant
The Hurricanes won their only Stanley Cup championship in 2006, when Brind’Amour was their captain. He played 9 1/2 seasons for them and spent seven more as an assistant before getting named coach in 2018. He has been a part of 98 of Carolina’s 100 playoff victories since the franchise formerly known as the Whalers moved from Hartford in ’97.
“Roddy’s been at the helm of it the whole time and just establishing the culture that we do have here,” said defenseman Jaccob Slavin, now in his 11th season with the team. “It’s been building and building and we’ve been close and knocking at the door. I think we finally just have the right personnel, the right commitment, the right buy-in because our game really hasn’t changed.”
Slavin, captain Jordan Staal, grinder Jordan Martinook and center Sebastian Aho have been together since the time Brind’Amour got promoted, and wingers Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis and goaltender Frederik Andersen got added the well-established core along the way. The Hurricanes won at least one series every year but had never strung together three in a row.
“We’ve been trying really hard for eight years, and it’s not anybody’s fault,” Martinook said. “It’s just we’ve fallen short.”
What has been different for the Hurricanes
Logan Stankoven, acquired at the trade deadline last year when Mikko Rantanen was sent to Dallas six weeks after Carolina got him from Colorado, has thrived at center on the second line between Taylor Hall and Jackson Blake. Stankoven leads the team with nine goals.
Hall, who came from Chicago in that initial three-way trade with Rantanen, tops the Hurricanes with 16 points. Nikolaj Ehlers, signed last summer as a free agent, had a monster Game 2 of the East final after they lost the series opener, including scoring the overtime winner.
“I don’t think I’ve done anything special to get this group (here),” Ehlers said. “This group was ready for it.”
Carolina is 12-1 this playoffs, the fewest losses to get to the final since 1983. Brind’Amour feels like this is where his team has belonged for a long time but still has unfinished business.
“I don’t think we have broken through,” Brind’Amour said. “You’ve got to win. I know everyone makes a lot about getting this far, but nobody’s going to remember who comes in second.”
The Golden Knights were winners from the start
Vegas came in second during its inaugural season when no one expected the expansion team to be any good. The Golden Knights went all the way to the final before losing to Washington in five games.
“Set the tone right away,” said center William Karlsson, one of the three original so-called “Misfits” who are still around from the beginning. “That came out of nowhere.”
First general manager George McPhee plucking Karlsson, defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb and winger Reilly Smith — back after a year and a half absence — from other teams put Vegas in position to succeed. Smart selections in the draft, free agent signings and trades by McPhee and now-GM Kelly McCrimmon established a standard of winning at all costs.
“It’s what you want to be as an athlete,” McNabb said. “You want to be on a team that does that.”
In came Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Ivan Barbashev and Alex Pietrangelo, and the Knights won the Cup in their sixth season. They’ve only missed the playoffs once.
What has been different for the Golden Knights
Pietrangelo’s career-ending injury opened space to deal for Mitch Marner on June 30. Marner leads all scorers in the playoffs with 21 points, succeeding at a time of year that he never did in nearly a decade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I think our team is deeper and a better team than what he had played on in Toronto,” McCrimmon said. “Not that Toronto didn’t have real good teams, but you have to have that depth throughout your roster because to go through three rounds or ultimately, hopefully, four rounds, everybody’s got to take their turn.”
Pavel Dorofeyev has been a breakout star on that front, and he and teammate Brett Howden are tied for the most postseason goals with 10 apiece. Karlsson returned in the second round after missing the previous six months with an undisclosed injury.
Goaltender Carter Hart, a controversial signing last fall after he and four other Hockey Canada junior players were acquitted of sexual assault, has rounded into form. Hart stopped 118 of 125 shots in a West final sweep of Colorado.
And, most notably, Vegas has won 19 of 24 games since McCrimmon fired coach Bruce Cassidy in late March and hired John Tortorella, whom he had never met or spoken with before.
“We asked ourselves, ‘Who can come in and give us that kind of a bump?’” McCrimmon said. “John was the guy that we really felt strongly could do that.”
RALEIGH, N.C. — On the eve of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes, one of the general managers involved laid out his thinking when making roster moves.
“We want to be aggressive off the ice,” the GM said. “When you have a chance to add really high-end players, we never want to miss out on it.”
While the Golden Knights under Kelly McCrimmon deservedly have earned their reputation for going after every high-end player available, that sentiment came from Carolina’s Eric Tulsky, whose team generally has been considered far more selective.
The Hurricanes have taken bigger leaps since Tulsky took over two years ago, but his challenge has been finding particular players who fit coach Rod Brind’Amour’s demanding style. The Golden Knights have added one big star after another, in the name of trying to win it all for a second time in less than a decade of existence.
One approach will end with hoisting the Cup.
“It probably should be more fun than we appreciate in the moment,” McCrimmon said. “We have made a lot of big decisions over our time in the league — very bold. I always say that to be big or bold is one thing. You’ve got to make good decisions, and I think that we’ve collectively through our hockey ops have done a good job of that. It’s exhilarating to win.”
Building the Hurricanes
Six Carolina players were drafted and developed, including No. 1 defenseman Jaccob Slavin, top-line forwards Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, and young building-block winger Jackson Blake.
Starting goaltender Frederik Andersen was a free-agent signing, and second-liners Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven were acquired in trades. Tulsky, a Harvard graduate with a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley, worked under previous GM Don Waddell and pieced the rest of the puzzle together himself.
McCrimmon pointed to Waddell as a positive influence and complimented his counterpart for smart draft picks and trades.
“They’ve consistently been building their team, and they’ve done it different ways,” McCrimmon said. “Looking at it from the outside, they’ve been aggressive in their way of doing that. They have an idea what they want it to look like, the type of players that their organization will make good use of and they go out and get those guys.”
Sometimes those guys do not fit. One of the big gambles Tulsky made came in January 2025 when he gave up young forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury in a three-way trade that landed the Hurricanes big winger Mikko Rantanen and the veteran Hall.
Rantanen was not interested in re-signing, so Tulsky explored options and flipped him to Dallas for young Logan Stankoven and picks.
“Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you hoped, and you’ve got to be ready to figure out how you’re going to move forward from there,” Tulsky said. “One of the strengths of our organization is we’re not afraid to take those swings, but we’re confident that if we just keep staying aggressive, some will work out, some won’t (and) we’ll end up ahead of where we would be if we just stayed passive the whole time.”
Stankoven, free-agent signing Nikolaj Ehlers and other additions like Eric Robinson and Mark Jankowski have fit Brind’Amour’s mold like a glove. Tulsky was a hockey blogger before moving into management and he thinks analytically but also credits his staff for talent evaluation to play for this coach.
“We’ve really focused on finding people who fit the way we want to play,” Tulsky said. “We ask players to play a very distinctive style, and our scouts have done a great job finding players who can come in and look their best playing the way Rod needs them to play.”
Building the Golden Knights
From the start, Vegas was built to win. Original GM George McPhee aced the expansion draft, from picking players from the other 30 teams in the league to making side deals that brought even more talent into the fold.
The initial bunch delivered an unexpected trip to the final during the club’s inaugural season in 2017-18, with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury the backbone of a group that included forwards William Karlsson and Reilly Smith and defensemen Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb. Karlsson, Theodore and McNabb have been around the entire time, and Smith returned after a brief absence.
Along the way, McPhee and McCrimmon never shied away from making big moves. They made trades for Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin, signed Alex Pietrangelo and made a sign-and-trade for Mitch Marner.
“We appreciate how George and Kelly operate,” McNabb said. “They’re always trying to build a winning team, and they’ve done a great job for the nine years.”
The Golden Knights have made the playoffs in eight of them, won the Cup in 2023 and consistently been championship contenders.
“It’s a privilege,” McCrimmon said. “We don’t take it for granted. We work real hard. You have to get lucky along the way at times, also. That’s kind of been our objective right from the opening season.”
McNabb said McCrimmon is doing his job. There are no complaints from players about Vegas going big-game shopping all the time.
“I don’t know if he’s in on every player, but he’s trying to make the team better and that’s what you want and you appreciate,” McNabb said. “You want to be on a team that’s trying to get better and have the best team going into playoffs and performing in playoffs.”
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Manny Malhotra was hired as coach of the Vancouver Canucks.
The former Canucks forward takes over for Adam Foote, who was fired after Vancouver finished last in the NHL during his only season behind the bench.
Malhotra becomes the 23rd head coach in franchise history and the latest Canucks player to be promoted by the team as it begins its rebuild.
“Manny and I have been in the battle together before, so I know firsthand what a good teacher, leader, and quality person he is,” general manager Ryan Johnson said in a statement.
The pair previously worked together in the minors with the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks.
“Manny is a great coach who has the right skill set and mentality to help players develop and get better each day,” Johnson said. “We both believe that pressure is a privilege, and learning to become a good pro takes patience, dedication and a ‘be better than yesterday’ mindset.”
Foote was fired on May 19 after the Canucks went 25-49-8 last season. Malhotra immediately emerged as a prime candidate to replace him, with Johnson saying he would sit down with the 46-year-old former NHL player and “talk about the future.”
Malhotra previously served as a development coach and an assistant coach for the Canucks, then spent four seasons as an assistant with the Toronto Maple Leafs before becoming Abbotsford’s head coach.
There, he guided the AHL team to a Calder Cup championship during the 2024-25 campaign. The club then missed the playoffs last season as several players dealt with long-term injuries.
It was the way Malhotra led Abbotsford through a challenging year that showed exactly the kind of coach and person he is, Johnson said.
“To see that when you can rely on the foundation of the consistent environment and the coaching through the worst of times and really continue to propel players forward, even though the wins and losses aren’t there, it tells you a lot about him,” he said.
“That entire staff showed that they’re champions based off of not the year before, but of what they did last year, and what people around them took out of a pretty tough season.”
The promotion reunites Malhotra with former teammates Daniel and Henrik Sedin, who were named Vancouver’s co-presidents of hockey operations on May 14.
Malhotra, from Ontario, spent 16 seasons playing in the NHL after getting drafted by the New York Rangers in 1998.
He had 116 goals and 295 points in 991 regular-season games with Vancouver, New York, the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets, San Jose Sharks, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes.
Malhotra took a puck to the face while playing for the Canucks in March 2011, an injury that left him with limited vision in his left eye. He missed much of the team’s run to the Stanley Cup Final that year and was given a reduced role the following season.
“He loves the game and getting to know what makes his players tick, and I am very confident Manny will help us ice a competitive and hard-working team that our fans will be proud of moving forward,” Johnson said.
Jace Avina of the Somerset Patriots is present before a Minor League Baseball game at TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, United States, on May 31, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images
It wasn’t a great week to be a pitcher in the Yankees’ organization. Several highly touted pitching prospects scuffled across all levels in some of their worst outings of the season, but they were picked up by some strong hitting performances up and down the system.
Dax Kilby made his season debut, George Lombard Jr. began to heat up, the DSL season is kicking off, and so much more on another week on the farm.
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Record: 28-27, 5.5 GB in the International League East after a 2-4 week against the Worcester Red Sox (Red Sox)
Run differential: +18
Coming up: Away @ Syracuse Mets (Mets)
It wasn’t a fun start to the week for Scranton, but they finished strong. They lost four consecutive games to start the week, scoring nine total runs in those games, but got two terrific pitching performances on Saturday and Sunday to salvage a pair of games.
Spencer Jones (6-for-22, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 BB) returned to the level after his cup of coffee in the big leagues and went back to anchoring this offense. Tyler Hardman had a few big hits, but is in an adjustment period after his promotion, while many of the veterans struggled with the rest of the offense. We saw the best week yet from George Lombard Jr. since his promotion, as he mashed his first two homers at the level in a week that saw him reach base 10 times across six games.
It was an up-and-down week for the rotation. Adam Kloffenstein struggled on Tuesday, but bounced back to deliver six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts on Sunday. Dom Hamel got blown up on Wednesday, Elmer Rodríguez (5 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 K) finished a disappointing month with an uneven outing on Friday, and Brendan Beck tossed six shutout innings despite uncharacteristic command issues on Saturday. The best performer of the week was Carlos Lagrange, who toned down the four-seamer velo to pitch a season-high 5.2 one-run innings on Thursday.
Yovanny Cruz hasn’t been fazed since his first taste of the big leagues, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts in two games this week. Bradley Hanner and Kervin Castro continued to be rocks in the bullpen, along with Dylan Coleman continuing to navigate poor command with zeroes. The hotshot name is Eric Reyzelman, who allowed a run in 2.1 innings this week while maxing out at 98 on his four-seamer.
Record: 26-25, 2 GB in the Eastern League Northeast after a 3-3 week against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Phillies)
Run differential: +35
Coming up: Away @ Harrisburg Senators (Nationals)
Despite taking a big hit in the run differential department, Somerset had a solid week, holding serve in a very underwhelming EL Northeast Division that’s still ripe for the taking. Some high-scoring shootout victories on Tuesday and Friday partially overshadowed an overall poor week for the pitching staff, which allowed at least seven runs four consecutive days to start the week.
The bats continue to rake. Jace Avina continues to be a star at the level, Garrett Martin added to his Eastern League-leading home run total, and Nick Torres returned from injury and didn’t lose a step, going 4-for-12 with a double and four walks in four games after missing six weeks with injury. Despite continuing to pace their league in hitting, the bottom of the order is looking shallow. A-ball call-ups Connor McGinnis, Kevin Verde, and Santiago Gomez (who’s been sent down to High-A Hudson Valley) have struggled in brief stints in the infield.
Ben Hess is being built up extremely slowly from injury, tossing a pair of multi-inning outings this week without completing three innings. Behind him in those two starts, Trent Sellers and Chase Chaney bounced back from rough outings to throw five solid innings.
Outside of those three, it was a really rough week. Cade Smith allowed six runs in 3.2 innings on Wednesday, Xavier Rivas allowed 11 runs in 4.1 innings on Thursday, and Jack Cebert allowed seven runs in four innings on Friday. The best outing came from Kyle Carr, whose topsy-turvy season continued with a quality start on Saturday, where he tossed 6.2 innings, allowed one earned run, and struck out 10, a new career high.
The bullpen has suddenly become an issue. With Reyzelman promoted and arms like Will Brian and Chris Kean struggling, there aren’t many guys consistently putting up zeroes. Harrison Cohen adds a boost after being sent down from Scranton following a rough first two months, but Hayden Merda, a former 17th-round pick in 2022, is performing best, having gained four ticks on his fastball after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2024, and is suddenly one of the best relievers in Double-A, posting a 34.9 K-BB% in 21 innings.
Record: 23-27, 9.5 GB in the South Atlantic League North after a 2-4 week against the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Rays)
Run differential: -3
Coming up: Away @ Frederick Keys (Orioles)
I told you it wasn’t a good week for most of the pitchers in the system. In Hudson Valley’s 2-4 week against Bowling Green, they allowed at least seven runs in the first five games, while giving up at least 10 three different times. Winning a Thursday shootout and Sunday’s series finale was all that stopped this week from being catastrophic.
For several weeks, the only player hitting well for the Renegades was Kaeden Kent, but as he’s cooled off in the back half of May, two other 2025 bats picked him up by finding their power strokes. Undrafted free agent Eric Genther (6-for-21, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB) has hit four homers in the last two weeks after managing just one in his first 40 pro games, while fifth-rounder Core Jackson (5-for-12, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 2B) has hit three home runs in four starts since coming back off the injured list after hitting just two through 54 career games.
Chase Hampton’s rehab continues to progress. He got a pair of starts up in Hudson Valley on Tuesday and Sunday, where he combined to allow three runs in 7.2 innings with six strikeouts. Bryce Cunningham allowed three runs in 4.1 innings as a piggyback on Tuesday, while Franyer Herrera K’d eight in 5.2 innings in the same role on Sunday. Luis Serna and Sean Paul Liñan struggled, and Rory Fox had an uneven outing. Allen Facundo allowed five runs on four walks and a HBP in the first inning on Thursday, but rebounded to toss five shutout innings after that.
The piggyback outings by Cunningham and Herrera ate up a lot of relief innings, but Jack Sokol and Tony Rossi stayed steady, while Brandon Decker has quietly turned into a solid reliever with a 2.31 ERA across 23 innings.
Record: 25-26, 6 GB in the Florida State League West after a 3-3 week against the Daytona Beach Tortugas (Reds)
Run differential: -3
Coming up: Home vs. Palm Beach Cardinals (Cardinals)
Tampa had the opposite week that Somerset did. While they also went 3-3 against their opponents this week and salvaged a split on Sunday, they won two of their three wins by at least six runs, while losing three close games by a combined five runs.
The usual suspects, Jackson Lovich (4-for-10, 2B, RBI) and Hans Montero (5-for-23, RBI, 4 BB, 2 2B), continued to be anchors of this lineup, but the big story right now continues to be the emergence of Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, who finished May with a stellar .305/.409/.516 slashline after hitting two more home runs this week. The former 20th-round pick could be a candidate for a promotion soon. FCL call-up Luis Puello (6-for-22, 3 XBH, 4 RBI) also continues to be a revelation, while Willy Montero and Engelth Urena slowly heat up.
Thatcher Hurd and Wyatt Parliament were both called up for their Single-A debuts, and they didn’t go well. Hurd allowed 10 runs in 2.1 innings, while Parliament was more manageable with three runs allowed in four innings. On a brighter note, Mac Heuer (5 IP, 0 R, 7 K), Henry Lalane (5 IP, 0 R, 7 K), and Brennan Stuprich (5 IP, 0 R, 4 K) all had superb outings. We also saw an improved outing from Justin West in long relief (5.2 IP, 2 R) and a so-so outing from Tyler Boudreau.
It was a nice bounce-back week for the bullpen. Pedro Rodriguez got back on track, while Jose M. Rodriguez and Jose Martinez continued to pitch well. Greysen Carter continues to throw strikes, while Parker Seay is now up to 24 strikeouts in 16.1 innings.
Record: 11-11, 6 GB in the FCL North after a 2-3 week.
Run differential: +19
It was another week of missed opportunities for the FCL squad, as they faltered late on Tuesday against the division-leading Blue Jays before splitting the next four games against the Phillies and Tigers, only looking impressive in a 12-4 win on Saturday.
Wilberson De Pena continues to be one of the best hitters in all of rookie ball, leading the FCL with seven home runs in 95 plate appearances. Richard Matic continues to carry his elite 2025 in the DSL over, providing a boost with Leni Done cooling off.
With Jose Castro still out, the team has gotten needed reinforcements in a rehabbing Logan Maxwell and former seven-figure international prospect Francisco Vilorio, who made his season debut on Monday after missing the first month with injury. 2025 first-rounder Dax Kilby even popped up early in the week to start a rehab assignment, but hasn’t played since Thursday.
With Hurd and Parliament moving on, there’s more of an emphasis now on the progressing international prospects. Omar Gonzalez continued to be very consistent on the mound, while Sabier Marte delivered his best start of the year with eight strikeouts in four shutout innings. Manuel Cruz, Edinzo Marquez, and Austin Breedlove are the top arms in the bullpen.
Monday was Opening Day in the DSL, so check out our daily minor league roundup for results. Once we get a full week down, check back here for full breakdowns.
Not every minor leaguer can just show up at a particular level and start mashing immediately. Sometimes, you need an adjustment period.
A hitter that personifies that is Jace Avina, a former 14th-round pick out of high school in 2021 by the Brewers, who made his way to the Yankees’ organization in a November 2023 trade that saw Jake Bauers head to the Brew Crew.
As he’s progressed from Single-A to High-A to Double-A, Avina’s struggled with early inconsistency. He had some truly dreadful months in his first year in Hudson Valley in 2024 before conquering the level in early 2025. He spent the last few months of that year and most of April 2026 figuring out Double-A pitching with Somerset.
But since the beginning of May, Avina’s been one of the best hitters in all of MiLB. On a team with several formidable sluggers and in an offense leading the Eastern League in homers and runs, he’s stood out with a .339/.429/.679 slashline on the month, sporting an impressive 189 wRC+ while displaying his tremendous pull-side power.
This week in particular, he sprayed the ball all around the field and reached base in 13 of his 27 plate appearances, while picking up an offense that scuffled more this week than usual.
Just four days prior to his 23rd birthday, he’s in a position where he could be considered for a promotion to Triple-A later in the summer and could even be a potential Rule 5 consideration down the road. That’s not too shabby for someone who signed for under $300,000 out of high school.
The White Sox are having fun, and we should, too! | (Michael Hirschuber/Getty Images)
White Sox fans, you’ve been hurt, and don’t I know it.
You hesitate to recognize the 2026 White Sox as postseason contenders, which, based on the trauma of the 2024 season alone, is valid. You don’t trust the front office or the organization as a whole, and may harbor anger towards the team. You’re exhausted from growing attached to a lineup, a player, or the cultural climate, only to have it ripped from you. You’re unwilling to expose your defenseless baseball bosom, which has been weakened more gravely than Jerry Reinsdorf’s aging brain, to any sense of hope. You’re tired of being gacha’d like a three-year-old with their own mobile phone, because Chicago Sports Network charges $20 per month to watch White Sox games if you don’t have cable. It feels rotten to be nickel-and-dimed in the current day and age for a team that has let you down so far into your baseball grave that you can no longer see the sun.
I’ve been there, right where you are. I took an entire year off baseball, not watching a single game, which caused psychic damage to my innermost self. I came into this season with a barrel of wishes and not much to lose, my bar aflame in the depths of hell and being used as a leaning post by Arnold “Chick” Gandil. Re-entering the fold, I was primed for pain and ready for losses in the high nineties, feeling dissatisfied with the 6-13 start, my brain burning with knowledge of the team’s potential. My doubt was the suit of armor I was clad in, but it rusted quickly in April and completely corroded by mid-May, revealing that classic pinstripe jersey underneath.
The White Sox haven’t just obtained a pulse; they’ve gained a new life and are already sprinting on the base paths.
This isn’t the same old Chicago White Sox, and only one active position player on the roster remains from the accursed 2024 squad. With Jacob Gonzalez as the 11th player to make their Chicago debut this season, this is a brand new team.
And boy, is it a fun squad! If you permit yourself to enjoy it again, White Sox baseball is a paramour, gathering you back into its arms with seductively dramatic dingers, magic wands in the hand of a smiling dingus (affectionately, from a fellow dork), projectile run-killing missiles from the outfield to home plate, walk-offs, winning months, and excited players, having fun. They celebrate one another. They play until the game is over.
Bewilderingly, even the national media are noticing the Good Guys, and not just because of Munetaka Murakami. Even during the modern-era South Siders’ best year, the harsh criticism never stopped, and the national media discredited the 2005 White Sox every step of the way, right up to the very end. When they swept the World Series, critics yawned, complaining that it was boring. Usually, this team can’t please everyone, but before this season, they couldn’t please anyone.
Just as Big Media wants to dislike the White Sox and is usually actively rooting against them, fans feel they have earned the right to hate on their team because they put in the time to learn the stat lines. I agree with this. Like you, I’m critical of the White Sox. As a lifelong fan, I’ve been hurt before, but I’ve also hopped on board for the greatest rides. I was there in the ’80s, but don’t remember much. In the early ’90s, the strange feeling of watching Comiskey’s demolition is drowned out by memories of my love for Frank Thomas and his dingers, and fireworks after the game. I never got busted for smoking Marlboro Reds in the nosebleeds in the late ’90s, but I should have been. In the early ’00s, I wised up and started getting better seats. Mid-season 2004, I knew the team could go all the way. It was easy to see in the way the guys played after the All-Star break, and I was lucky to watch them sail that headwind directly into a 2005 World Series title, never running out of steam along the way. That’s what this current White Sox team reminds me of: post-All-Star break 2004. This current team has the power, drive, and unity to go deep into the postseason, and maybe even all the way.
Will the White Sox win a World Series this year? I don’t know. Can they?
Yes, they can.
Look at how they play. They give it their all until the game is over. They’re 12-6 in one-run games this season, a stat that would make the 2024-era past you do a spit take. This past weekend, with the White Sox up by enough against the Tigers and no one on base, Sam Antonacci made a killer outfield catch when there was nothing at stake. That’s the energy in the entire clubhouse, and you can see it in every sprint to first, every low-stakes catch, and every pinch hit. They believe in one another and are finally a team that’s good enough to have fun.
Something was missing the last time the White Sox were in a position to think about the playoffs. While 2021 was dynamic and exciting, it felt like we were watching many individual players who lacked a team mentality. That vibe is long gone. Every cog in this machine is operating for the greater whole, and every game is important. This is evident in every play.
The White Sox have turned the tide and have been putting the spanking the AL Central, a feat that’s not small to this team. Once the next series is done in Minnesota, a test is nigh for both players and fans. A daunting 13-game gauntlet against four formidable playoff contenders is in our immediate future, and it will define who this White Sox team is, for all of us, fans and players alike. June 5 is the start of the series with the Phillies, then it’s the Braves, Dodgers and Yankees. It won’t be easy, but the White Sox aren’t stopping any time soon.
At the start of this season, the Milwaukee Brewers didn’t just sweep the White Sox; they obliterated them and left no opportunity to the wind. Despite this, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said about the White Sox, “Mark my words right now: That Chicago White Sox team will be something to be reckoned with in that division.”
I’d like to believe he’s onto something.
No matter what happens, let’s permit ourselves to enjoy this ride. This team is a pure pleasure to watch, and I haven’t had this much fun watching baseball since 2005. In the present moment, the White Sox are a squad of remarkable talent, and they’ve made us fall in love with the South Siders again, despite how shattered our fandom had become.
You can wait until the June gauntlet is over to decide whether you believe in this White Sox team. I believe now.
May 20, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado (13) walks back to the dugout after striking out during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images
It needs to be asked: Is Manny Machado elite anymore?
The San Diego Padres’ third baseman has had a great career, making seven All-Star teams, winning three Silver Slugger awards, two Gold Gloves, and four finishes in the top five of MVP voting. But at age 33, it seems like he may no longer be a great player.
2025 marked his third straight season with an OPS under .800, although his .795 mark was still good enough to earn the Silver Slugger award, mostly thanks to hitting 27 home runs. In 2026, he’s still hitting home runs (10) but that’s about all he’s doing at the plate. His .174 batting average is about 100 points lower than last year, and he’s striking out at a career high rate. To top it off, the onetime Platinum Glove winner isn’t even grading out well defensively.
"It's been tough… I'm a baseball player, I'm not a theorist." Manny Machado on what's going on with his offensive struggles. "@FriarTerritorypic.twitter.com/v2glLXDUgB
He’s not alone in his struggles. Fellow All-Stars Fernando Tatis, Jr. and Xander Bogaerts are also hitting below their career averages. They’ve been offset somewhat by better-than-expected production from Ty France and Gavin Sheets, but it seems unlikely that the Padres will be able to sustain their winning if the stars don’t start performing like it.
Machado has seven more years on his current contract, so the Padres certainly hope that his struggles are temporary. Then again, at his age, elite status might be permanently behind him. Considering how poorly he’s played this year; they’d probably be happy if he could just find a way to be a good player again.
Pennant year song battle
Patriotism (or anti-patriotism) wins the day. It’s a Mistake finally loses the crown at the hands of I Didn’t Raise My Boy to be a Soldier by the Peerless Quarter. Can they hold on to the title now that Memorial Day is behind us?
The next contender is in honor of Wednesday night’s starter Cristopher Sanchez and how many players scored runs against him in May. From 2008, it’s No One by Alicia Keys.
Vote for the winner:
Additional thought about the series
A 4-2 record on a trip through San Diego and Los Angeles is more than respectable, but it seems unlikely that they’ll be able to keep winning on pitching alone.
Adolis Garcia seems to be receiving the most criticism – and he certainly deserves criticism – but the Phillies’ offense has far more than one hole. The player who should be receiving the most flak is the one who is supposed to be a franchise cornerstone (The Phillies and Padres could compare notes on albatross contracts) and has been batting in the top two of the order all season despite poor results. (To be fair, there’s no obvious choice to replace him there.)
When Trea Turner struggled in Spring Training, I wasn’t concerned, because it seems silly to get worked up about Spring stats for an eleven-year veteran. But the struggles carried over into the regular season, and he got even worse in May, putting up a .529 OPS for the month.
While all the Phillies' right-handed bats are struggling, none are worse than Trea Turner's expectations.
"We've seen downs from him before. This is starting to look like an albatross of a contract."
With two home runs against the Padres, there was some hope that he might be turning things around, but a 2-12 showing against the Dodgers doused those hopes. A low BABIP indicates there might be some bad luck involved, but you also might think that a top of the order hitter who is slumping might try to walk more. However, he only took five free passes in the month of May.
Like Machado, Turner is owed a lot of future money by the Phillies, so they’d better hope this isn’t a permanent age-related decline. And no, before anyone suggests it, we shouldn’t give him another standing ovation to get him back on track.
It goes without saying that the Twins’ bullpen is in need of some juice. They have seemingly found a few strong building blocks, including Yoendrys Gomez, who has been a revelation for this team after the Twins pulled him out of thin air. Others have done enough to keep the team afloat, but the bullpen as a whole ranks 24th in ERA and 29th in strikeout rate. The team desperately needs to add velo and stuff. Thankfully, there are two young prospects right across the river who look like they could solve some of the bullpen problems down the stretch.
RHP Marco Raya
Currently sitting at #17 on MLB Pipeline’s Twins prospect rankings, Marco Raya’s hype has worn off over the past couple years after struggling to adjust to the upper levels of the minor leagues. However, Raya’s stuff is as good as ever this year, and he has begun to find more success with the Saints in May.
Although his fastball is averaging 96 MPH this season, deadzone tendencies and inconsistent command have led to poor results. Instead, Raya has been relying on two excellent breaking balls in the mid 80s. With more than 12 inches of horizontal break and spin rates around 2,800 RPM, his sweeper has generated a 44% whiff rate this season. Raya pairs it with a curveball that sits at a similar velocity, but has more of a 12-6 shape. He also mixes in a power changeup in the low 90s that has been a weapon against lefties, but his struggle to command the pitch has forced him to limit its usage.
After posting a 9.98 ERA in his first 11 appearances with 11 walks and 15 strikeouts, Raya has since hit his stride, working a 4.02 ERA and 1 walk to 17 strikeouts in his last 8 outings. He has the highest graded stuff on the Saints and is currently holding a 40 man spot, so a major league debut could be on the horizon.
RHP Alejandro Hidalgo
It has been a rocky road of a minor league career for Alejandro Hidalgo. Signed out of Venezuela, he spent the first two years of his pro career in the Angels’ system before being shipped to Minnesota for Gio Urshela ahead of the 2023 season. His time in the Twins’ system did not get off to a good start. At 20 years old, Hidalgo ran a 5.24 ERA as a starter in High-A Cedar Rapids before a shoulder injury costed him the entire 2024 season. He returned in 2025 with much improved stuff, playing at both High-A and Double-A. This season, he has moved to the bullpen and taken his stuff to a whole new level at age 23, showing flashes of absolute dominance in the upper minors as he is now just across the river from Target Field.
Hidalgo leads with a dangerous fastball at 95-97, and at 18 iVB from a lower release point, the heater possesses elite carry. He has a cutter in the upper 80s that may be his best whiff pitch and also has a reliable changeup in the mid 80s that he uses to attack lefties. An occasional sinker is mixed in, but it’s mainly a three pitch arsenal, all of which are undoubtably big league pitches if he can command them.
This projection is more of a work-in-progress, as Hidalgo currently sits at a 6.75 ERA this season. Home runs and walks have both been major issues, but the stuff is some of the best in the system and cannot be ignored. He has struck out 43 batters in 28 innings of work while walking 14 this season.
Both Raya and Hidalgo have their flaws, but they also have electric stuff that can only be matched by a few other pitchers in the organization. There are a lot of questions to be answered over the next few months as the Twins hope to get David Festa and Garrett Acton back from injury. Will Kendry Rojas settle into a more traditional bullpen role? Will Kody Funderburk recapture his dominance from the end of the 2025 season? There are lots of pieces to fit into this puzzle, and these two flamethrowing prospects in the Saints’ bullpen have a chance to make a big impact.
SEATTLE — Mariners first baseman Josh Naylor exited a 3-2 win against the New York Mets in 10 innings with back spasms, according to manager Dan Wilson.
Naylor hit a tying home run off reliever Brooks Raley in the seventh, but by the time he rounded the bases and returned to the Seattle dugout, his back had stiffened up.
Patrick Wisdom, who pinch hit for Luke Raley later in the inning, replaced Naylor at first base to start the eighth.
“I believe it was more on the swing, on the home run,” Wilson said. “And when he got back in, it was tight.”
Wilson said Naylor’s status is day-to-day.
The 28-year-old slugger got off to a frigid start this year, hitting .102 with two RBIs through Seattle’s first 15 games. He turned it on in May, though, batting .296 with one home run, three doubles and nine RBIs across 108 at-bats.
Acquired last July in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Naylor batted .299 with nine homers, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases in 54 games for Seattle in 2025. He signed a five-year, $92.5 million contract last November.
The Thunder “believe in Chet Holmgren” — even if some others don’t.
On Monday’s segment of “NBA Today”, ESPN’s Tim MacMahon made his thoughts on Holmgren clear: He’s a building block for the Thunder moving forward, even after his disastrous Game 7 and overall series against the Spurs.
“The Oklahoma City Thunder believe in Chet Holmgren,” MacMahon said. “They believe in his talent. They believe in his character. They believe in his work ethic.”
Chet Holmgren struggled on offense throughout much of the Western Conference Finals. Getty Images Getty Images
After Holmgren’s dud in the Western Conference finals against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, the big man has his fair share of critics.
Ogwumike said that while Holmgren was open for shots, he chose not to take them as Wembanyama disrupted his entire flow.
“It’s not like Chet has an issue in the NBA. He has a Victor Wembanyama issue, more specifically ” ESPN’s Chiney Ogwumike added. “If I’m Chet Holmgren, I’m turning off the TV, getting some rest, and then I’m locking myself in the gym. Because it was more so a mindset thing than it was a talent thing.”
Holmgren’s woes against San Antonio in Game 7 weren’t anything new.
In 11 games against the Spurs this season, including the playoffs, Holmgren averaged just 10.6 points per game, shot 46 percent from the field and 24 percent from 3.
Jaylin Williams #6 of the Thunder, Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs, and Chet Holmgren #7 of the Oklahoma City Thunder looks on during the game during Game 7 of the Western Conference finals on May 30, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Against all other teams this season, Holmgren averaged 17.6 points per game, shot 57 percent from the field and 37 percent from downtown.
“I like to give people some grace, but he (Holmgren) has to figure it out soon,” Ogwumike said. “Because there’s (Nikola) Jokic in the West. There’s Wemby in the West. There’s (Rudy) Gobert in the West.”
Even with trade rumors swirling, MacMahon doesn’t think Oklahoma City has any plans to move its 24-year-old star.
“This idea that it’s time to pull the plug on Chet Holmgren in Oklahoma City — I can promise you this, (Thunder general manager) Sam Presti will not be taking that advice,” MacMahon said.
The Thunder have key decisions to make this offseason, but trading Holmgren may not be one of them.
ST. LOUIS — On his son Nolan’s birthday, Jacob deGrom got the whole family a gift he’ll never forget.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner tossed five scoreless innings to earn his 100th career win as the Texas Rangers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 2-1.
“It’s really cool,” deGrom said. “As a kid, your goal is to just play major league baseball and for it to become a reality and win 100 games in the major leagues, it’s kind of crazy to think about. Today was Nolan’s third birthday, so I’ll always remember that being my 100th night on his third birthday.”
The right-hander notched his 99th victory May 10 when he threw seven scoreless innings against the Chicago Cubs.
In his first three attempts at reaching the century mark, the 37-year-old deGrom (4-4) went 0-2 while allowing 12 runs over 15 innings. He finished 1-3 with a 5.72 ERA in five May starts, but it was different after the calendar flipped to June. He yielded just four hits and struck out eight to help the Rangers win their fourth straight game.
“I was trying not to do too much,” deGrom said. “Having the meeting, talking to (catcher) Danny (Jansen) I was like, `Hey, tonight we’re hitting the glove as many times as we can. Mechanics are what they are. We’re throwing everything else out the window. We’re going back to how I used to pitch.’”
Selected in the ninth round of the 2010 amateur draft, deGrom debuted for the New York Mets in 2014 and was the NL Rookie of the Year.
Despite going 100-69 with a 2.61 ERA in 260 career starts, deGrom only has made 30 starts five times in his first 12 big league seasons, and 2025 was his first time making 30 starts since 2019.
“He’s never really felt 100%,” Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said. “I’ve said it before, he should be a Hall of Famer. I think he’s going to be a Hall of Famer. That’s how dominant he’s been throughout his career, and he’s still got a couple of years left in him, too.”
DeGrom is the 16th active pitcher to reach 100 career wins after Texas teammate Nathan Eovaldi became the 15th on July 30, 2025, against the Los Angeles Angels.
Now, our brave heroes enter the dark lords’ realm in an attempt to overthrow their plan to cover AL lands in a twenty-eighth darkness.
I know some folks are disturbed by my series Preview of doom. I’m doing a thing. We all have to do a thing to reverse the curse against the New York Nazgul. Wear your lucky underwear, grab the Guardians hat that they win when you put it on, wear a clove of garlic, eat some lembas, something.
We should get Steven Kwan back tonight which hopefully sends Stuart Fairchild back to the shadow. The trial run was a nice idea but I have never seen a hitter look so overmatched.
Daniel Espino starts in Columbus tonight. I will be interested to see how many innings he goes.
AROUND MLB:
Tigers beat the Rays, Royals won and Twins beat the White Sox.
