Baseball's most disappointing team is forced to host
Good morning! Win at least one game today.
Most of Major League Baseball is scrunched together for the break, as the Home Run Derby arrives tomorrow. Only five teams are double-digit games out of a playoff spot. Not everyone's doing well, but most teams can feel decent, and a few have separated from the field. The outlook:
In the National League
The sixth playoff team in the Senior Circuit could be anyone outside the Rockies, Pirates and the three other East clubs. (More on one of the latter in a moment.)
In the American League
Barring someone collapsing, who rounds out the AL postseason? The Rays and Mariners? Could the Twins wake up? Maybe the Red Sox, despite trading Rafael Devers and implicitly giving up just a little on 2025?
Missing from that big list of teams involved in a pennant race? The Braves, who host the All-Star Game on Tuesday.
Atlanta is 42-52 and all but officially out of the postseason hunt before the trade deadline. An 0-7 start meant a big hole to dig out of right away for a team many saw as a World Series contender. Their FanGraphs playoff chances have fallen from 92 percent on Opening Day to 4.6 percent this weekend.
Even as Ronald Acuña Jr. has crushed the ball in his return from a second ACL tear and Spencer Schwellenbach has become a front-of-the-rotation starter, so much has gone wrong:
The big question, beyond whether the Braves will sell at the trade deadline, is this: Will Atlanta try to deconstruct the team in the coming months, get by with tweaks or do something in between? I asked The Athletic's David O'Brien, a longtime Braves beat man:
💬 Because they have so few players on expiring contracts and so many in-their-prime players signed beyond 2025, the Braves aren't going to do anything severe at the deadline. What we could see them do is trade one or more from the group of DH Marcell Ozuna (though his struggles this season have likely reduced his value) and relievers Pierce Johnson and Raisel Iglesias, each in the final year of his contract. If they could get a controllable reliever, an innings-eating starter to help get through this season or a middle infield prospect back in a deal, they'd likely do it.
Brutal year, and there's not that much to do but run it back.
Flagg drops 31 in Summer League
I'm starting to think this Cooper Flagg kid might be legit. After a somewhat underwhelming showing in his first Summer League game, Flagg dropped 31 points on 10-of-21 shooting last night. Perhaps most impressively, the 18-year-old handled the poise of being the constant center of attention masterfully. The only blemish on his performance? He failed another attempt at a poster slam:
Phillies slam MLB over All-Star snubs
Brewers rookie pitcher Jacob Misiorowski was named an All-Star replacement Friday after a record-low five MLB games. Phillies players and coaches had already been disappointed that Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez and Trea Turner were not named All-Stars. That disappointment turned into something much more after Misiorowski's selection. Some scorching comments here (free to read), including Nick Castellanos comparing the selection process to the Savannah Bananas.
Advertisement
More news:
Two less controversial decisions: Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubalwere named the All-Star Game starting pitchers last night.
Twins outfielder Byron Buxton hit for the cycle on his bobblehead day, punctuated by a tank to dead center. What a week for Buxton.
Browns rookie Quinshon Judkins was arrested yesterday on a domestic violence and battery charge. More here.
Make it five straight multi-goal games for Inter Miami's Lionel Messi. The 38-year-old continues to reset the MLS record books.
Ndamukong Suh — former standout NFL defensive tackle and current host of The Athletic's 'No Free Lunch' podcast— formally announced his retirement from the NFL yesterday with a heartfelt note to his late father.
Amanda Anisimova announced her arrival with a stunning Wimbledon upset over world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Thursday. It was the biggest win of the 23-year-old's career.
But the American's dream quickly became a nightmare yesterday. Iga Świątek utterly outclassed Anisimova in the Wimbledon final in a 6-0, 6-0 match that lasted less than an hour. It was just the second time that scoreline has happened in a Grand Slam final in the Open Era, and the first since 1988. It was hard to watch.
There's really not much else to say about this match. We can only hope today's men's final provides a little more competitive tennis.
Lucky for us, this one should not disappoint:
📺 Wimbledon: Men's Singles Final
11 a.m. ET on ESPN
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, again. How lucky are we? Their last Grand Slam final was one of the greatest matches the sport has ever seen.
📺 Scottish Open: Final Round
12 p.m. ET on CBS
With earlier coverage on CNBC and Golf Channel. This is a terrific tournament just about every year, a part of the run-up to the Open Championship that very much stands on its own. Moreover, Rory McIlroy ended Saturday tied for the lead at 11-under.
📺 CWC: PSG vs. Chelsea
3 p.m. ET on TNT, truTV or DAZN
To anyone out there who turned on the TV looking for this after seeing it listed in yesterday's Pulse, apologies for the production error. Anyway, to repeat: The final of the first edition of this international club football extravaganza features two of Europe's biggest brands. The Club World Cup is not the Champions League, but winning both in one spring and summer would be sweet for PSG. They're the best in the world right now.
Get tickets to games like these here.
The MLB All-Star break is almost here, and Jayson Stark has midseason awards across the board. Lots of fun debate surrounding the MVP race in both leagues.
I was dragging while working late Thursday night and the new Clipse album, 'Let God Sort Em Out,' was the perfect antidote. As a 35-year-old massive hip-hop fan, this is pretty much perfect music. Also, a 13-song album in 2025? Thank you. — Chris Branch
Advertisement
Been listening to Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy audiobooks lately. The writing is good, but the guy who does the audiobook (Steven Pacey) is phenomenal, with one exception: he pronounces 'grimacing' as gri-MAYCE-ing'. If you can get past that, two thumbs up. — Levi Weaver
Carlos Alcaraz, Steph Curry and numerous other elite athletes use juggling as a warmup to enhance cognitive function … and, well, have fun. Rustin Dodd tried it himself.
Google 'Directive draw' or use Art Hub for your kid as summer drags. Good screen time ✅ — Chris Sprow
Lena Dunham's new show on Netflix, 'Too Much.' If you were a fan of 'Girls' or Megan Stalter in 'Hacks,' or you just generally love a smart, hilarious, moving rom-com, get thee to this show! — Hannah Vanbiber
Shout out once again to the cover-songs marching band in College Football 26's menus. 'Blinding Lights' might be the winner. — Jason Kirk
Ahead of today's MLB Draft (bookmark this page for updates throughout), Cody Stavenhagen penned an awesome story on potential No. 1 pick Ethan Holliday and a baseball family generations in the making.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: How sports bettors are feeling threatened by Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill.'
Most-read on the website yesterday: Stark's midseason MLB awards.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MLB Draft: Top pick Eli Willits, 17, to build power with Nationals
July 14 (UPI) -- Switch-hitting shortstop Eli Willits is lauded as exceedingly polished at the plate, but the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft says he plans to improve as a power hitter while with the Washington Nationals. Willits spoke about his desire to improve in that area Sunday, moments after the Nationals made him the youngest No. 1 overall pick in an MLB Draft since Ken Griffey Jr. in 1987. The move to select the 17-year-old infielder from Broxton High School in Fort Cobb, Okla., that early was a bit of a shock, as experts expected either shortstop Ethan Holliday or pitcher Kade Anderson to be the first player picked. Advertisement "I'm just a player that's going to go out there and give everything I've got, just like everyone else," Willits said on the MLB Network broadcast from Atlanta. "I feel like I have a good hit ability and I'm going to take that to the next level. I feel like my power is up and coming, but I needed to get into an organization like the Nationals that can help develop that and take that to the next level." The 6-foot-1, 180-pound infielder previously committed to Oklahoma, but now will likely be headed into the Nationals' minor league system. He hit .471 with 14 doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 34 RBIs, 27 walks, 47 stolen bases and 56 runs last season, when he struck out only four times. Advertisement "I'm just excited and thankful for the Nationals organization for giving me this chance," Willits said. "I want to thank God for everything, but at the end of the day I'm just ready to get out there and get to work." The Nationals made Willits the top pick about a week after they fired longtime general manager Mike Rizzo and Dave Martinez. Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo DeBartolo, who said he was "empowered" by ownership to make draft and trade deadline decisions, called Willits the Nationals' "top guy throughout the process." "We couldn't be more excited," DeBartolo said. "Eli, he's special player. Great hit tool, makes contact, controls the strike zone. We love his swing, switch hitter, just a clean operation at the plate, with developing power, impact at the plate then just an elite shortstop. Somebody who stays at shortstop, somebody with great range, smooth hands, great arm, accurate. You add on top of that, intangibles, confidence, work ethic and maturity that's off the charts. Advertisement "You put all that together. It's rare to get somebody that is the best hitter in the draft and best fielder in the draft. We just felt that was an opportunity we couldn't pass up." The Los Angeles Angels selected former UC Santa Barbara right-handed pitcher Tyler Bremner at No. 2 overall. Anderson, a left-handed pitcher out of LSU, landed with the Seattle Mariners at No. 3. The Colorado Rockies snagged Holliday, a third baseman from Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Okla., at No. 4. Tennessee left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle went to the St. Louis Cardinals at No. 5. Right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez (Pittsburgh Pirates), shortstop Aiva Arquette (Miami Marlins), shortstop JoJo Parker (Toronto Blue Jays), shortstop Steele Hall (Cincinnati Reds) and shortstop Billy Carlson (Chicago White Sox) rounded out the Top 10 picks. All Day 1 selections can be found here. Rounds 4 through 20 of the 2025 MLB Draft will air at 11:30 a.m. EDT Monday on and
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Celtics-Bulls trade pitch sends $100 million Boston guard to Chicago for lousy return
Rumors have suggested that the Boston Celtics could still look to move on from Anfernee Simons, despite recently acquiring him in a deal for Jrue Holiday. The Celtics did that move to save money, and it made perfect sense from Brad Stevens' perspective. The Celtics knew coming into the off-season that they had to cut costs in some way, and they did that by moving on from the two-time NBA champion. Advertisement However, by moving Simons, the Celtics could further do that. In a recent trade idea from Sports Illustrated, they'd accomplished just that once again. The deal would involve moving on from Simons to the Chicago Bulls. Hawks Receive: Sam Hauser Celtics Receive: Kevin Huerter, Julian Phillips, a 2026 2nd round pick (via ATL), and a 2032 2nd round pick (via ATL) Bulls Receive: Anfernee Simons 'This is another cost cutting move and nothing more. Huerter can try and replicate Hauser's production and is on an expiring contract while Phillips is a cheap bench option. This gets Boston under the luxury tax and opens up a lot of money for next season when Tatum will be back,' they wrote. Advertisement MORE: Brad Stevens utters strong vote of confidence in Celtics star This is an intriguing trade to consider, and while the Celtics would be a worse team because of it, as Sports Illustrated touched on, it'd help them save money. For that reason alone, it makes sense. However, if they believe they have any chance in the Eastern Conference next season, which still might not be out of the question given how talented the Celtics are, it might be better to keep Simons on the roster.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Bulls Have Gotten Laughably Little In Return For Trading DeRozan, LaVine, Caruso, And Lonzo
The Bulls Have Gotten Laughably Little In Return For Trading DeRozan, LaVine, Caruso, And Lonzo originally appeared on Fadeaway World. Take yourself back in time to January 2022, and you'd see the Chicago Bulls sitting atop the standings in the Eastern Conference. With the likes of DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, and Lonzo Ball leading the way, the Bulls looked like title contenders for the first time in ages. Advertisement Unfortunately, not only would the Bulls fall well short of title contention, but DeRozan, LaVine, Caruso, and Ball have all been shipped out of town just over three years later. To make matters worse, the team has gotten very little for the four of them as well. Chicago Bulls Traded: DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine, Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball Chicago Bulls Received: Josh Giddey, Kevin Huerter, Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Chris Duarte, Isaac Okoro, rights to their own 2025 first-round pick, two second-round picks, cash The Bulls got just one first-round pick in the four trades, and it was their own. Let's take a look at each of these trades. Advertisement The first of those four to be traded was Caruso in June 2024. The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired him by parting with Josh Giddey in a swap that included no draft picks. While Giddey had a promising 2024-25 season for the Bulls, his stock wasn't all too high at the time of the trade. The Australian had just been benched in the playoffs, and it was clear that he was the odd man out for the Thunder. The fact that the Bulls couldn't even get a pick in this deal was quite surprising. What wasn't a surprise was Caruso playing an important role in the Thunder winning the 2025 NBA championship. It's fair to say they won this trade. Just a few weeks after Caruso was moved, DeRozan would join the Sacramento Kings via a sign-and-trade in July 2024. The Bulls only got Chris Duarte, two second-round picks, and cash in return. Even by sign-and-trade standards, that was a poor haul. Advertisement The Bulls were reportedly trying to trade LaVine in that offseason as well, but failed in that quest. They would finally succeed in February 2025, as he was sent to the Kings as part of a three-team deal with the San Antonio Spurs. The Bulls got Zach Collins, Tre Jones, Kevin Huerter, and their 2025 first-round pick as part of the deal. They had sent this pick to the Spurs to acquire DeRozan in 2021. At first, it seemed like getting this pick back was somewhat pointless, as it was top-10 protected. The Bulls seemed likely to slide down the standings after trading LaVine to the point where they were going to have one of the 10 worst records in the league. The Bulls would finish 10th in the East, though, and that pick ended up being 12th in the 2025 NBA Draft. They would select Noa Essengue with it, but the Spurs would have been the ones with the opportunity to do so, if not for the trade. So, that was at least one positive here. Advertisement Lastly, we get to Ball, who was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Isaac Okoro on Saturday. It was reported that the Bulls could have gotten a first-round pick for the guard at the trade deadline if they absorbed salary, but opted against that. They now get just Okoro, who averaged a career-low 6.1 points per game in 2024-25. All in all, this is just terrible asset management on the Bulls' part. They were never going to get an incredible haul for any of those four players, but you'd have expected a better return than this. Related: Chicago Bulls Declined Magic's Massive Offer For Coby White This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
