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Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
It was a good day for the Commanders offensive tackles
Jayden Daniels was apparently forced to move out of the pocket several times on Wednesday. The Washington Commanders were without left guard Brandon Coleman, recovering from a foot injury, which left him limping last weekend in practice. Coach Dan Quinn said early Wednesday that it is nothing serious, yet as a precaution, the Commanders kept Coleman off the scrimmage field on Wednesday. The Commanders thus started Laremy Tunsil (LT), Andrew Wylie (LG) Tyler Biadasz (C), Nick Allegretti (RG) and Josh Conerly (RT). Following the joint scrimmage, Mitchell Tischler of Monumental Sports reported that Tunsil had a good day, including one play where he locked up a Patriot linebacker and drove him off the playing field. On another play, he locked up a lineman and drove him down into the ground, showing he's not a bad run-blocker either. Good news for Commanders fans? Tischler says that the news of the offense was that Josh Conerly really had a good scrimmage. Conerly is Washington's first-round choice out of Oregon, drafted 28th overall. Conerly was playing at right tackle on Wednesday and came to play. Tischler said Conerly stood up well in one-on-one drills and working against edge rusher Harold Landry. This is very encouraging if Conerly is ready to go early in the season at right tackle. A key figure will be Wylie because of his flexibility to start at either tackle or guard when needed. Sam Cosmi, recovering from his ACL tear in January, might result in Wylie starting at right guard. Tischler also said of the four units (Patriots offense, Patriots defense, Commanders offense, Commanders defense), clearly the best of the four was the Commanders offense, and had this been an actual game, the Commanders would have been scoring several times. Barring injury, the Commanders this season could have two 2024 starters (Wiley and Allegretti) being reserves on the line for the 2025 team. Two 2024 starters providing depth and breathers for 2025 starters is good news. This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: It was a good day for the Commanders offensive tackles
Forbes
9 minutes ago
- Forbes
Dodgers Shohei Ohtani Leads Wide Open NL MVP Chase
We're over two-thirds of the way through the regular season, so it's time to take my first looks at the Cy Young and MVP races in both leagues. Earlier this week, I looked at the AL and NL Cy Young races. Now it's on to the MVP chases, starting with the AL yesterday, and now the NL.. If you're new to my work, I take a slightly different approach to evaluation of current season performance. It's a purely analytical approach, and relies on batted ball data. I simply take every batted ball hit by every qualifying MLB hitter, and calculate the damage they 'should have' produced based on their exit speed/launch angle mix. That's expressed by their Adjusted Contact Score - 100 equals league average, the higher the number the better. I then add back the Ks and BBs to determine each hitter's 'Tru' Production+, and then spread it across their plate appearance bulk to determine their 'Tru' Batting Runs Above Average. I then add Fangraphs baserunning and defensive runs into the mix, resulting in 'Tru' Player Runs Above Average (TPRAA). While using replacement level as a baseline typically makes sense when doing most kinds of player evaluation, I find league average to be quite useful in evaluating elite performance, i.e., for award voting, Hall of Fame-worthiness, etc.. This analysis goes through games played on July 31, and includes all players with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title as of that date. This does not include Diamondbacks' 2B Ketel Marte, who didn't qualify then, but does now. He was on my ballot last year and could be again this year. It also does not include Phillies' DH Kyle Schwarber (14.5 'Tru' Player Runs Above Average), who is starting to get some award buzz and is currently #11 on this 10-man list. He's a bomber for sure, but gets dinged big-time for his lack of complementary skills. It should be noted that this is shaping as one of the wildest league MVP battles in recent memory. Let's get to it. Reds' SS Elly De La Cruz (14.8 TPRAA) is really good already, but is only scratching the surface of his potential. His walk rate has begun to improve, and the rough edges have begun to be sanded off of his complementary defensive and baserunning skills. That said, he's been fortunate across all batted ball types, and 'should be' hitting .253-.332-.434, well below his actual current level. It's been a nightmarish season in Atlanta, but Braves' 1B Matt Olson (16.4 TPRAA) hasn't let it affect him. He's been incredibly unlucky on line drives this season, batting only .573 AVG-.760 SLG for an 81 Unadjusted Liner Contact Score, way below his adjusted 112 mark. This has cost him 36 points of SLG thus far. Marlins' LF Kyle Stowers (16.9 TPRAA) has been one of the first half's most unexpected breakthroughs. While he's clearly a bat-first guy, he's a respectable corner outfield defender. And the power is real - his 250 Adjusted Fly Ball Contact Score trails only Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Schwarber among players we'll discuss today. Padres' SS Manny Machado (19.8 TPRAA) remains one of the very best all-around players in the game. He hits his fly balls, liners and grounders materially harder than league average, putting up solid power numbers in a pitcher-friendly park without maintaining a particularly high fly ball rate. His defense might not be quite what it used to be, but it's still plenty good enough for him to remain at the hot corner for the foreseeable future. Cubs' RF Kyle Tucker (21.4 TPRAA) has stepped into a leadership role for a quality Cub squad in his free agent walk year. Tucker does not crush his fly balls - his Adjusted Fly Ball Contact Score is roughly league average at 103. He compensates with plenty of fly ball volume,and plenty of contact, period. He had comfortably more walks (74) than whiffs (63) through July 31. #5 - RF Corbin Carroll (Diamondbacks) - 22.2 TPRAA - Carroll is one of the more unique players in the game today. 20-triple guys don't grow on trees in the modern era, and he's making a strong run at that benchmark. But despite his considerable speed, it's his power rather than his on-base ability that is at the forefront of his offensive game. His 216 Adjusted Fly Ball Contact Score is 4th highest among the 10 players on this ballot. Factors working against him taking it to still another level are a low walk rate and a fairly extreme grounder-pulling tendency. His defense is well above average on an outfield corner, and more than playable in center field. #4 - CF Pete Crow-Armstrong (Cubs) - 26.5 TPRAA - Crow-Armstrong is currently considered by many to be the NL MVP frontrunner. I see him as squarely in the mix, but sitting a bit off of the pace. The defensive and baserunning value he brings is without peer in the senior circuit, but offensively he's only a slightly above average player after adjusting for batted ball authority. He's an extreme pull hitter, and he mishits a lot of balls, especially in the air. Only the #1 and 3 players among this Top 10 have hit more 105+ mph fly balls than Crow-Armstrong, but his average fly ball exit speed of 91.8 mph is easily dead last among them. His poor K/BB profile also needs some work. We may be looking a very early career offensive peak from Crow-Armstrong. #3 - RF Juan Soto (Mets) - 28.8 TPRAA - Huh, what? Mr. Non All Star guy? Yup. Soto has been ridiculously unlucky on balls in play this season, with both his actual Unadjusted Fly Ball (248) and Line Drive (94) Contact Scores way below their comparative adjusted marks of 344 and 119. That 344 mark is higher than even Aaron Judge's, and his 100.4 mph average fly ball exit speed is 2nd only to the #1 guy below. Soto 'should be' batting .268-.399-.567, well above his current levels. All that said, he cuts into his offensive value with poor defensive and baserunning performances. Don't be surprised by a furious offensive onslaught from Soto down the stretch. #2 - RF Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres) - 29.9 TPRAA - Very quietly, Tatis has raised the floor of his all-around game considerably without materially compromising its ceiling. He has gradually improved his K/BB profile, and can now work an at bat with the best of them. Machado is the only other player in this Top 10 whose average fly ball, line drive and grounder exit speeds all exceed 90 mph. Like Machado, Tatis sprays the ball to all fields, even on the ground, another reason he can be depended upon to hit for a solid batting average, even while playing his home games in a pitchers' park. On top of it all, he has emerged as one of the game's finest defensive right fielders. #1 - DH Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers) - 33.8 TPRAA - I can hear the question already…..how can DH Ohtani be #1 while DH Schwarber is #11? Couple reasons. First, Ohtani is a great baserunner in addition to being a great hitter, while Schwarber is, to be kind, not. Secondly, Ohtani has been very unlucky on balls in play this season - his Adjusted Fly Ball Contact Score is a scary high 396, well above even his strong unadjusted mark of 328. (Schwarber is at 409 Unadjusted, 311 Adjusted). Ohtani's 100.6 average fly ball exit speed is the highest in MLB. Ohtani 'should be" hitting .274-.374-.616, even better than his gaudy present numbers. Also, I have made an executive decision to NOT include his pitching numbers at this time. I'm measuring distance above league average in this exercise, and I refuse to penalize this guy even by a fraction of a point as he tries to work his way back from Tommy John surgery. Presently, Fangraphs WAR has Crow-Armstrong (5.7 WAR), Ohtani (4.8) and Tatis Jr. (4.3) 1-2-3 in the NL MVP race.
Yahoo
36 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Will WNBA let Steve Pagliuca steward Connecticut Sun? Or will ownership tensions get in way?
Steve Pagliuca and Bill Chisholm have dueled over a professional basketball franchise's future before. Now, with the Connecticut Sun up for sale, both owners are linked again. In March, the NBA's Boston Celtics announced that Chisholm, the managing partner of Symphony Technology Group, would be the next owner of the historic franchise, purchasing the team at a $6.1 billion valuation — a then-record in the NBA. Pagliuca had been a Celtics minority owner since partnering with the Grousbeck family in 2002 and had long been considered a contender to obtain the franchise. When news was announced that he wouldn't be the next majority owner, and Chisholm would be, Pagliuca penned a lengthy statement reflecting on his failed bid. 'We have felt it was the best offer for the Celtics. It is a bid of true fans, deeply connected to Boston's community, and we've been saddened to find out that we have not been selected in the process,' he wrote. On Sunday night, Pagliuca released another statement — his first on X since March when he weighed in on his Celtics bid. Chisholm was not mentioned in Pagliuca's statement, but he appears to be looming over the WNBA team's potential sale. This time, Pagliuca wants to buy the WNBA's Connecticut Sun. But will the WNBA let him? Or will conflicts — potentially with Chisholm yet again — hold up the transaction? Pagliuca is reportedly seeking to purchase the Sun at a women's professional sports team record $325 million sale price and would then invest $100 million in a practice facility. The franchise, according to the Boston Globe, could relocate to Boston as soon as 2027, if a deal were to be finalized. (Pagliuca said in his statement he wants to keep the Sun in New England, and he specifically mentioned support from the governors of both Massachusetts and Rhode Island.) A record deal to an ownership group would seemingly be a coup for the WNBA — the last WNBA team to have a standalone majority sale was the Atlanta Dream in 2021 for less than $10 million — but the Sun relocating under Pagliuca's watch appears to be facing some resistance. The WNBA said in a statement on Saturday that relocation decisions are made by the WNBA Board of Governors. It added that no group from Boston was among the dozen cities that bid for an expansion team by the Jan. 31 deadline. A source with knowledge of the expansion bids submitted also said Hartford, Conn., was not among the cities that bid for a team, though former Bucks owner Marc Lasry has subsequently bid to relocate the Sun to Connecticut's state capital. Perhaps, most interestingly, the WNBA said that the Celtics' prospective ownership group — led by Chisholm — has also 'reached out to the league office and asked that Boston receive strong consideration for a WNBA franchise at the appropriate time.' (Chisholm's deal is still pending NBA Board of Governors approval.) So Chisholm, the incoming steward of the Celtics, appears to now be interested in a WNBA franchise in Boston at a later date. Pagliuca, an outgoing Celtics partner, is looking to make moves in the near term, yet he can do so only by getting approval from others in the league. A fight appears to be brewing between two power players. One that is especially notable, as the WNBA recently unveiled three new expansion teams (in Detroit, Cleveland and Philadelphia), with NBA ties. It all begs the question, why is the sale process hitting a delay? Pagliuca has already made clear his group's offer is subject to obtaining required league approvals — presumably not only approval of the initial sale, but also, via a separate vote, to also to relocate the franchise. Without both, PagsGroup would not proceed. Boston seems like a logical place for the Sun to relocate. The franchise has already sold out games when it's played at TD Garden in each of the past two seasons, and multiple Sun players have expressed their support for playing in the city. Boston is one of the country's top 10 biggest media markets, and it has proven basketball success. By 2027, the franchise could also be the home of college star JuJu Watkins, as the Sun — with another subpar season next year — would be well-positioned to have the best draft lottery odds in what could become known as The Watkins' Lottery. 'Boston is the perfect place for a WNBA team,' Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy, a former Harvard basketball point guard and international pro player, said in a statement to The Athletic. 'We are the hub of New England and the birthplace of basketball. We have an incredible sports culture and strong enthusiasm for women's sports. …This would be a great opportunity for our state, for the league and for the players.' That's one politician's take, but internal league politics could prevent it from ever happening. A new NBA owner who just paid billions might not want another owner to steward a professional basketball franchise (in two leagues under the NBA umbrella) in the same city. Then, there is also a potential for the WNBA to upset other professional basketball owners — some of whom also have NBA ties. Last month, Gretchen Sheirr, the Houston Rockets president of business operations, told The Athletic that Houston will continue to pursue a team, after not being awarded any of the three incoming expansion teams in 2028, 2029 and 2030. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert specifically mentioned Houston as being 'up next for sure.' She added: 'There might be opportunities there.' The Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday that the city remains a contender to purchase the Sun, while saying that the Houston expansion bid was at least $50 million short of the eventual $250 million expansion fees that the three recently announced teams are entering in with. If the Sun were sold, it isn't clear whether another current WNBA franchise would be ripe for the Rockets' ownership group to purchase and relocate. Another round of expansion seems years away, making it difficult for Houston, Boston or any other city to get into the WNBA. All of this appears to be partly why Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti said Sunday that a sale by the Mohegan Tribe is 'not quite at the finish line yet.' The Sun might rise in Boston soon enough, but not before another clash. The next most exciting WNBA contest in the city will play out in boardrooms. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Boston Celtics, Connecticut Sun, NBA, WNBA 2025 The Athletic Media Company
